


Who Am I Now?

by PreppyVampire



Category: Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Angst, Character Death, Coming of Age, Dungeons and Dragons, Everyone Is Gay, Fantasy, Friends to Lovers, Guilt, Half-Vampires, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Protective Siblings, Romantic Angst, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Teen Romance, Vampires, Werewolves, chives continues to be the best character, friends to lovers to enemies to lovers again lmao, my boys are sad af but they get better dont worry, this is a novel i wrote about my dnd character for no reason lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25949374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PreppyVampire/pseuds/PreppyVampire
Summary: Dracula has been brutally slaughtered, and the undead are pissed. Finneas Gray is hired to protect the Queen’s only son, Lawrence Bennett, on a hunt to find Dracula’s ring before it falls into the wrong hands. The last thing the kingdom of Aerelon needs is another monster wrecking havoc..Right?
Relationships: Finneas Gray, Lawrence Bennett, Lawrence Bennett / Finneas Gray
Kudos: 1





	1. The Worlds Greatest Monster Hunter

Finneas Gray was losing his patience. 

His sister Arya had been outside ‘hunting’ since the sun had set. Every five minutes it seemed, she would start hollering and chucking rocks towards the shed outside their house. Finn was able to tolerate it the first ten times, but it was starting to drag on forever. He rolled over on the tough canvas mattress, pulling the sheet up over his eyes to block out the moonlight that dripped through the window (and maybe to block out some of the noise). Though, he couldn’t help but worry a bit. It was growing later and later, and Arya being outside was sending jolts of anxiety up Finn’s spin. Even though she was thirteen, the forests of Direburgh were riddled with monsters and other unsavory beasts, and the thought of Arya hurling rocks into the woods was just not sitting right with him. 

Just as he was ready to turn over in bed, he heard something bang into his bedroom window that made the entire wall tremble. Finn shot up out of bed and tossed the tattered bedsheet to the side, scowling. Through the window he saw Arya, rushing towards the pane to grab the rock she was flinging around. She shot him a goofy smile and turned around, as if nothing had happened. 

Finn swung out of bed and his feet slapped onto the freezing wooden floor of their home, sending a chill up his spine. He ignored the panging cold in his feet long enough to storm into the kitchen and swing open the back door. Arya was standing out in the yard, rocks still in hand, her brown hair tangled like a rats nest and hanging into her eyes. Like a frightened squirrel, she made dead eye contact with Finn and then jetted off through the yard. 

Finn was quicker. 

He tackled her into a pile of rain-slicked autumn leaves as she coughed and pleaded for him to let up. Yanking the rocks from her hands, Finn held them up close to her face. 

“How’d you like it if I woke you up by tossing these at your head?” Finn barked, ignoring the punches his sister was hurling against his stomach. 

“Get off,” Arya whined, attempting to shove Finn off of her. “It’s freezing!” 

“Then why are you out here in the first place?” Finn finally stood up, but not before giving his sister one final shove into the leaf pile. She blew her tangled hair out of her eyes and scrambled to find her footing. “You know how dangerous it is to be outside at night.”

“I was hunting for meat,” Arya said. “Instead of laying around and sleeping, like you.” 

“Bullshit,” Finn said, rolling his eyes. “You’re trying to hunt monsters.”

Arya finally managed to scoop herself free from the soaking leaves, and she lunged forward at her brother. Finn grabbed her by the shoulders and kept her away from him as she struggled to land another punch. The morning dew had fallen on her eyelashes, and it was making her angry brown eyes look much less intimidating. She pushed his shoulders with all of her strength, though he hardly budged at all.

“So what if I am?” She barked.

“Then you’re a moron,” Finn hissed, pushing her back. “Especially at night.”

“Whatever.”

“You think dad would have wanted you screwing around in the woods at night?” Finn gestured to the rocks Arya was previously gripping. “That’s not real monster hunting, anyways.”

“Shove it. You don’t know what dad wanted, so don’t pretend like you do.”

“I know he would have wanted you to be asleep right now, and not bugging me.” 

“You’re a real jerk sometimes,” Arya said, letting go of her brothers shoulders with a sniff. “You’re not the only monster hunter in this family.”

“I’m the only good one,” Finn said as he narrowed his eyes. “At least I know that rocks aren’t gonna kill any zombies or werwolves.” 

Arya’s expression grew painfully angry as she reached into her waistband and pulled out a small, silver dagger. Finn scowled as she pointed it towards him, the moonlight glinting off the sharp, pointed blade. 

“Who said I was gonna kill them with rocks?” Arya said with a smirk. “I was just trying to get their attention.”

“So you’re purposefully trying to attract monsters to our house?” Finn sneered, pushing her hand with the dagger away from him. Arya huffed, turning the dagger’s handle over in her palm. 

“Maybe I am.”

“Just so you can prove a point?” 

“Both you and dad have had so many great monster kills,” Arya muttered. She plopped down on the slick grass, ignoring how quickly the wet ground seeped into her pants. “I’m the only one who hasn’t killed one yet.” Finn squatted down next to her, hovering over the damp leaves. 

“You’ve killed lots of giant rats,” He said. “You even killed a kobold that one time.”

“I mean like a real monster,” Arya said. “Like a ghoul, or an orcas, or a demigorgan…” Arya trailed off, pushing her head into her arms. “Or a vampire.”

The atmosphere grew thick, like a heavy fog that was hanging over the two. Finn sighed, awkwardly putting his arm around his sister. They sat there for a few moments, the silence growing thicker until Finn blurted out, “Dad didn’t just kill any old vampire, Arya.”

Arya looked at him with confusion. He bit his lip, turning his head away from her. “Ah, geez. I didn’t want to have to tell you this.”

“Tell me what?”

Finn took a deep breath, releasing Arya from his awkward side hug.

“When dad died, he wasn’t fighting some ordinary monster. He was fighting Dracula.”

Arya’s jaw nearly dropped to the ground as she heard the words leave her brother’s lips. She scrambled to her knees in the wet autumn leaves and whispered in awe, “He was?”

“It was really amazing, actually. Dad sliced his head straight off.” 

“So then how did he…”

“It was all the other undead who killed him,” Finn said with a solemn tone. “Dracula summoned so many minions. Dad knew he wouldn’t make it out of there alive, but he did it anyways.” 

“So that’s why the undead are freaking everywhere now,” Arya muttered. “They lost their king.” 

“And why so many people are becoming monster hunters,” Finn said. “The undead are pissed.”

Arya jumped up from the soggy pile of leaves and crossed her arms, glaring daggers at her brother. 

“Why did you never tell me this?” She asked.

“Dad thought if you found out, you’d end up having your heart set on something stupid, like killing a vampire.” Finn glared at Arya as he said that, and Arya looked away sheepishly. “Yeah, why would he think that? Anyways, you’ll get better. I’ll teach you.” He gave his sister a playful punch to the shoulder. “And don’t try to hunt down a freaking vampire just because you think it would make dad happy. They’re nasty little bastards, you gotta start with something smaller.”

As the two were talking, the forest surrounding the Gray family home was beginning to rustle. Finn and Arya jumped up as they heard a twig snap, and they could see a shadow drawing closer. 

“Finn, do you hear that?” 

“Shh…” Finn put his finger to his lip as snapping twigs turned into snapping branches, and suddenly, the creature from the woods came into full view. 

Honestly, it was a sickly sight. Its large, rotting body was enough to make Finn’s stomach turn, but it also emitted a sour odor that filled the woods around it. Its head was hardly hanging on, and its eyes looked like cloudy marbles as they dashed from side to side with their swampy green color. It opened its mouth, and strings of saliva coated its teeth. Arya was paralyzed, taking in the full site in front of her. 

“Finn…is that a zombie?”

Without thinking, Finn darted back into his house, his bare feet slapping viciously against the ground. He heard Arya scream for him as he ran, but he knew there was no chance in beating that zombie unarmed. Finn skidded to a halt once he reached his room, where a magnificent silver sword sat propped up against the wall. He yanked it and darted back out full speed, hardly even noticing that he was running so fast, he took out two kitchen chairs in the process. He threw open the door and saw Arya, who was now perched high in a shady oak tree. She had her dagger outstretched towards the monster, and she was screaming insults at it as if it could hear her. 

The zombie stumbled forward toward the tree with Arya, gnashing its teeth and moaning. It suddenly slammed its rotting arms into the tree, causing the entire trunk to quake. Arya screamed, and Finn immediately drew his sword. He cried out to her, “Arya, throw the dagger!” 

Arya gulped and hardly even aimed, blindly chucking the dagger full-force at the monster. It pierced one of its eyes and caused the undead beast to howl in pain, giving Finn the perfect opportunity to strike. He hurled his sword over his shoulders and ran forward, crying out as he swung it back and sliced through the monster like butter. Its bones cut so easily, the beast screamed as Finn severed it into two separate pieces. Its skin curled up and nearly rotted on site as the body lay limp in the dirt. Finn took a deep breath and delivered one final blow, chopping the already split head straight off the body. He panted as a mix of terror and adrenaline rushed through his body, and he made sure the zombie was done moving. Arya shimmied down the tree trunk, stepping around the severed halves of the monster and running over into her brother’s arms. They stood there for a moment, before Finn broke the embrace and smiled at his sister.

“You did a great job,” He said, giving her a playful shove. “You threw that dagger right in its eye.”

Arya perked up, looking over her shoulder to see the silver dagger still attached to the monster’s eye. Finn was right; it had pierced the monster’s eye like a fork in a hard boiled eye. Arya yanked the dagger back and wiped it off on her pant leg, chuckling. 

“Only because he was so freaking slow. I was falling asleep up there.”

The door of the Gray’s house slapped open, and a distressed woman with bushy brown hair came rushing outside. Their mother looked scared to death, rushing through the wet grass bare footed and nearly tripping over herself. 

“Finneas, Arya!” Their mother cried, stumbling towards her children and wrapping her robe around her torso. Arya and Finn held out their arms towards their mother, but their mother came to an abrupt halt and smacked them both on the top of their heads. “Are you two insane?!”The siblings winced as their mother squawked at them, her voice absolutely piercing. “You could have both died! You could have been eaten! Our house could have been ripped to shambles!” 

She only stopped hollering when another voice began to drain hers out. The three of them looked at each other, confused, and turned their attention to an old man who was running up the hill towards the Gray family house. 

“Lucile!” The old man was screaming for their mother and waving his arms wildly. “Lucile, are the kids okay?”

Their mother huffed and went over to the edge of the hill, cupping her hands around her mouth and calling back, “They’re fine, Gary! Just imbeciles, that’s all!”

Gary Fletcher was an old, withered man, in the same way that a tree withers with age. He had a fringe of gray-white hair around his balding, potted scalp. His back was hunched and his face was tired, but his eyes were still a lively and mischievous green. The rings under his eyes were like rings on a tree trunk, each one showing a different story that man had faced. 

He finished climbing up the hill and ran straight towards Finn, passing their mother completely. Finn smiled and rushed up towards him, taking his arm and guiding him into their backyard. Gary was chuckling to himself the entire time. 

“We have something amazing to tell you,” Arya gushed at Gary, “We just killed a zombie!” 

“Oh, I have something amazing to tell the both of you.” Gary looked at Finn as he said this, who cocked his head in response. 

“Inside, then.” Their mother gestured for them all to follow her back inside their home. “I’ll have a heart attack if we stand out here any longer.”

The four hurried back into the Gray’s home, though it was more like a glorified shed than a home. It sat on top of a hill by the forest, appearing to everyone as if a monstrous giant had sat on the roof, for it sagged terribly. The windows were gaping holes for the wind to rush in and out through and the door hung on a jaunty angle. In truth, it was a rotting heap, bowing down, subservient to the elements. 

They lead Gary inside, and he collapsed on a small wooden stool inside the kitchen. Kicking off his muddy boots into the corner, he exposed his hole riddled socks with glee. He immediately grabbed Finn’s hands and smiled, his teeth looking like old kernels of corn. 

“Finn, come here.” 

Finn dragged an old wooden crate over to sit by Gary’s stole. Arya followed, jamming herself onto the crate before Finn could sit down. The two wrested for a moment, Finn trying his hardest to shove Arya off. 

“The Queen has made an announcement,” Gary said, reaching out and squeezing Finn’s hands. Finn raised his eyebrows.

“What about?” 

“A herald came to the market center today,” Gary continued, “The Queen is looking for a monster hunter to become her personal knight.”

Finn gasped as the words left Gary’s mouth, and Arya completely fell off the wooden crate the two siblings were fighting over. 

“You’re kidding,” Finn whispered, pulling a shaky hand up to cover his mouth. “But why wouldn’t she get a monster hunter from Exeter Academy?”

“That fancy rich school?” Arya asked, standing up and dusting off her pants. “Yeah, isn’t that school in the Capitol?”

“I hear she’s looking for someone special,” Gary said, his smile still so wide and prominent. “Three days from today, she wants all the best monster hunters to come to the castle at sun down.”

“It’s a three days walk,” Their mother said, grabbing Finn by the shoulders. “Finn is much too young, don’t you think?”

“I’m seventeen now,” Finn reassured her. “Dad was even younger than me when he started going hunting alone.”

“But will you be alright?” His mother’s voice cracked as she asked. Her tired face was brimming with concern, but Finn’s excitement was enough to balance it out. 

“Of course I will,” Finn said, confident and clear. “But I’ll have to leave now.”

“Wait, don’t you think this is just a little bizarre?” Arya said, grabbing Finn by the wrist and stopping him from jetting off into his bedroom. “The Capitol of Aerelon is one of the safest places on earth. Why would they need another monster hunter?”

“It’s the Queen, who knows?” Finn said, trying to break his sisters grip. “But I can’t just ignore an opportunity like this.”

“Well then let me come!”

“Absolutely not,” Their mother said, pulling Arya into her grip. Arya opened her mouth to protest, but Gary cut her off.

“If Finn does get the job, then you all will have enough money to last you the rest of yer lives.”

“Exactly,” Finn said, disappearing into his room. “Even if it seems like a strange opportunity, we aren’t in any position to pass it up.” 

“Hey, genius?” Arya called after him, blowing her tangled bangs out her face. “If the Queen of Aerelon is looking for a monster hunter, she’s not going to pick some nobody from Direburgh. She’s gonna pick someone from Exeter Academy.”

“I thought that too,” Gary said, shaking his finger towards Arya. “But if that’s what she wanted, there would have been no reason for her to to send a herald to Direbrugh in the first place.”

“Yeah, well Finn’s crazy if he thinks the queen is gonna hire him of all people,” Arya sneered as her mother placed a hand on her head. “He can’t even put your pants on the right way.”

“Hey!” Finn barked from his bedroom. He looked down, just to confirm that he did in fact have his pants on inside out. He scoffed, quickly tearing them off and putting them on the correct way before he reemerged from his room with a large backpack. “So what?” Finn asked. “I have more important things to do than worry about my freaking pants, Arya.” He crossed his arms. “You’re just jealous because you want to come.” 

“No, I just think you're stupid.” Arya yelled, pulling away from her mother and getting right up in Finn’s face. “I’m gonna lose my father and my brother all in one month.”

The silence that fell over the room sat on everyone’s skin like a sticky poison. Finn sighed as he eyed his sister, who’s angry face was obviously masking the fact that her eyes were growing glassy. 

“I’m not gonna die, silly.” Finn said, picking up his sword and flashing it towards Arya. The blade was huge and glimmering with potential, each blade a striking silver that caught the light in a devastating fashion. He ran his finger along the silver handle, stopping just above a small engraved picture of an eye. Right beside the eye were the initials, L.G. “I’ll have Dad’s sword with me. Nobody can win against the sword that killed Dracula.”  
Arya gave him a weak smile and mumbled, “I guess.” 

————  
The next morning, Finn gave his mother and sister a hug, and thanked Gary profusely before jetting outside without a second thought. The freezing air whistled through his ears as he ran, but in that moment, he didn’t care what monsters he came across during his journey. With his father’s sword strapped tightly to his back, the beasts that littered the forests seemed extremely irrelevant.  
It was a grueling trek, but it filled Finn with anticipation. He hiked for nearly three days, only stopping to rest when it grew too dark to see the path in front of him. His sword rested against his hip as a constant reminder of where he was going, and why he was doing. The monsters he encountered along the way were surprisingly sparse, and easy to beat (aside from an army of goblins who stole some of his rations). By the time he reached the edge of the Capitol of Aerelon, he only had a few scrapes and bruises.  
Looking up towards the cold November sky, Finn’s eyes followed the setting sun on the horizon, and there he saw the Capitol, peeking over the trees. The lanterns and flags were almost impossible to miss, and for the first time in a long time, Finn’s heart swelled with determination.


	2. Mother Knows Best

Lawrence Bennett raced past countless hanging portraits, his sock covered feet sliding against the marble floors of his castle. He was running so quickly, he almost took out a maid who was passing by. A young man in a tailored suit was trying his best to keep up with him, but was doing a mediocre job. 

“Prince Lawrence!” The man called, frantically pulling a pocket watch out of his coat and nearly choking as he read the time. 

“Come on, Chives!” Lawrence teased him, looking over his shoulder. “You’re not that old!” 

“My age aside, you’re much too quick!” Chives called after him as best as he could, tossing the watch back into his pocket. “And you’ll ruin your hair if you keep tramping around!”

Lawrence’s blond hair was pulled up and braided into a magnificent water fall braid, pinned to the back of his head. His bangs however, were still free to fall in his eyes, and they did just that as he slipped across the marble floors of the castle. Lawrence took off into the library, nearly wiping out as his plush white socks slid across the library floors. The library is where he spent the majority of his time, but not just for millions of books that graced the mahogony shelves. 

Lawrence ran passed countless titles before finally coming to a stop, right in front of a giant glass window perched between two bookshelves. The window gave a picturesque view of the Capitol, which was already bustling this early in the morning. Flags and lanterns were littering the streets, reflecting off the crystal blue waters that separated the castle from the Capitol. Lawrence gasped and smiled as he saw the Capitol looking even more lively than it usually did. 

“Chives, see?” He called over to his butler, who was doubled over panting as he finally caught up to Lawrence in the library. Lawrence ran up and grabbed him by the arm, leading him over to the window and repeatedly tapping his finger on the glass. “See? See? I told you! It’s the Capitol Carnival today!”

“That’s terrific, your highness,” Chives panted, running a hand through his salt and pepper hair. He reached into his pocket to check his watch again. “But it’s nearly nine o’clock. I have to get you dressed and down for breakfast.”

“Do you want a souvenir?” Lawrence asked, pressing his nose up against the glass window. “I feel like I could win you something impressive.”

“You will not be attending,” Chives said, grabbing Lawrence by his nightgown and leading him away from the window. Lawrence crossed his arms, allowing Chives to basically drag him across the library’s slippery wooden floors. He blew his bangs out of his face and muttered, “You're such a downer.”

Chives held out a hand and helped the prince to his feet, but kept a firm grip on his hand so he didn’t run off again. Pushing through the heavy library doors, the two trekked through the castle and back towards Lawrence’s bedroom. 

The castle was an old country mansion that had been extended over the centuries. It now stood as a gigantic manor, four sides around a central quadrangle, with a magnificent court yard and over five hundred rooms. It took an army of servants to upkeep such a large manor, and indeed, most of the rooms were never used. The Queen dwelled in only one corner on the top floor and rarely stepped foot in the rest of her palace. But the castle was a status symbol, it set her above the peasants and that is where she needed to be; separate, superior, and untouchable. 

The Queen’s husband was a lanky, quiet man who was even more reclusive than she was. He only came out of his room to eat, and then he would disappear back into the shadows of his wing in the castle. While the Queen still had to make public appearances on the occasion, her husband was hardly ever seen. If the castle had any liveliness at all, it was thanks to the thousands of servants, guards, knights, and monsters hunters who littered the grounds. And, of course, the Queen’s one and only child.

“You’re acting outrageous this morning,” Chives said to Lawrence, trying to mask a slight smile with a serious tone in his voice. “We’re going to be running behind schedule.”

“So?” Lawrence pouted, allowing Chives to lead him by the hand and lead him back through the twisting hallways of the castle.

“You have to stop acting so immature,” Chives said. “It’s a wonder to me how you’re seventeen.” 

“Just because you’re old doesn’t mean you have to stop having fun,” Lawrence muttered. Chives turned around, offended. 

“My prince,” He said, “I don’t think I’m nearly as old as you think I am.”

“Whatever,” Lawrence mumbled as Chives opened the door to his bedroom. Lawrence’s bedroom was huge and immaculate, from every piece of wrinkle-free furniture to the glinting glass tables. There were neatly folded blankets on every chair, and every crystal clear window was spotless and dripping in sunlight. The sleek wooden floors were covered in white throw rugs to match the thick white curtains that billowed against each windowpane. Lawrence ran over to his dressing area, which consisted of a large wooden screen, a heavy wardrobe, and a pristine vanity. 

“Let’s get you looking nice,” Chives said, following quick on Lawrence’s trail. “It’s a big day, after all.” 

“I still don’t know why we need another one,” Lawrence said as Chives rustled through the wardrobe. “A monster hunter, I mean. Don’t we have thousands?”

“Nevertheless, let’s not irritate her today, alright?” Chives picked out a silky white shirt and a lovely blue vest, both with small embellished golden detail. “Let’s do as we’re told.”

Lawrence groaned melodramatically as Chives unbuttoned his nightgown and threw the silk shirt over his head. 

“But it’s the Capital Carnival today,” Lawrence said, pulling the shirt down and popping his head out so that he was positive Chives could see his pouting expression. “I have to go.”

“You are not allowed,” Chives said, yanking the shirt down back over Lawrence’s face. “You know better than that.” 

Lawrence’s face fell as Chives buttoned up his shirt. Chives was right; Lawrence was not allowed outside of the castle or its grounds, and the world outside of his castle had been a mystery to him for much too long. For quite longer than he would like to admit, Lawrence thought all the floors in everyone’s houses were marble. What else would they be? All stair rails were ornate mahogany, carved and polished so that they shined. Every family had portraits that were painted in oils and hung in gold frames. His ignorance began to dissolve the more he read stories and novels inside of his library, and the more Chives taught him about the outside. But he didn’t think he’d fully understand the outside world until he snuck outside of the castle and went to visit the Capitol. Which, of course, was Lawrence’s genius plan for today. 

Chives fixed Lawrence’s shirt and pulled the vest on, popping the golden buttons into place. He sighed as he finished, pulling on the vest and revealing all of the excess fabric that failed to hug Lawrence’s small waist the way it should have. “You need to eat more. Your clothes are starting to be too big on you again.”

“I haven’t been that hungry lately,” Lawrence said, stepping into a pair of black pants that Chives was holding out for him. “Besides, I don’t like sitting at the table alone.”

“You’re being dramatic, my Prince.” Chives knelt down and slipped a pair of black buckle shoes onto Lawrence’s feet. Lawrence narrowed his eyes, pulling his foot away. 

“I’m being dramatic?” He scoffed. “You haven’t felt lonely until you’ve sat at a table set for thirty people, completely by yourself.” 

“I understand,” Chives said, yanking Lawrence’s foot back inside of the shoe and doing the buckle before he could pull away. “But you need to eat. You health is no joke.”

Chives finished buckling Lawrence’s shoes and stood up, and Lawrence seemed to know exactly where this was going. He made a beeline for the door, but Chives was quicker. He caught Lawrence by the wrist and led him over to his bed, where the prince quickly collapsed dramatically. 

“Gross,” Lawrence groaned, rolling around on the pastel covers, grabbing a handful of throw pillows and shoving his head underneath them. “I’m not taking it today.”

“You are,” Chives said, grabbing a glass bottle off the mahogany nightstand by the bed. He poured a surprisingly large pill into his hands, and sat down beside Lawrence. He tossed the throw pillow to the side nonchalantly, as if this was a regular routine for the two. Lawrence pouted as he stared at the garnet pill between Chive’s fingers. “You must take it,” Chives said, holding the pill by Lawrence’s mouth. “Let’s get it over with.” Lawrence rolled his eyes and parted his lips, allowing Chives to place the pill on his tongue and hold a golden water chalice to his mouth. He nearly gagged, and Chives placed a hand on his back. “See? All done.”

“I hate it,” Lawrence grumbled, pushing the water chalice away from him. “You can’t cut it in half?”

“I’m afraid not, your highness.” Chives reached into one of the dressers surrounding Lawrence’s dressing area, and pulled out a box full of neck bows. He picked up a royal blue one, tossing it around Lawrence’s collar and tying it effortlessly. “When you’re tempted to sneak out, you should remember your health.”

“So?” Lawrence said with a scoff. “Walking around the Capitol isn’t going to kill me.” Chives tried his best to brush off Lawrence’s griping, and reached for his arm to fasten the buttons on his sleeves. 

“I need you to stay inside today. No sneaking out, no climbing out your window, none of it. I don’t even want you in the courtyards.”

“But Chives,” Lawrence whined, pulling away and throwing himself down onto his bed in a heap. “I’m rotting inside of this castle, and It’s the Capitol-.”

Chives grabbed Lawrence by the shoulders and brought him back up to a siting position, staring him directly in the eyes. Lawrence looked surprised to see Chives so serious, and he nervously shifted his gaze away. 

“I’m don’t care.” Chives said with a curt tone. “Stay inside today.” 

“What’s gotten into you?” Lawrence muttered, sheepishly handing Chives his arm once more.

“You’re naive and gullible,” Chives said, snatching his sleeve back. “You don’t know the dangers outside.”

“Yeah I do,” Lawrence groaned. “I get it; there’s monsters outside that can hurt me. But I’m the prince. Someone will protect me from them.”

“But outside of this castle,” Chives whispered, leaning in closer, “Nobody knows you exist.”

Lawrence’s face dropped in defeat. He stared down at the floor, kicking his polished black shoes together. He childish demeanor fizzled out as he grew silent. 

“I forgot about that,” Lawrence said, masking his shaky voice with a weak smile. Chives sighed, regretting his choice of words for a moment before wrapping his arms around the prince in a tender hug. His lip quivered as Lawrence squeezed his torso, burying his head into his shoulder. 

“You know it’s only for a little while longer,” Chives said, placing a hand on his back. “But it’s important that only the people inside of this castle know who Lawrence Bennett is.”

“I just don’t understand why,” Lawrence said, his voice muffled as he pushed his face against Chive’s shoulder. 

“I’ve told you,” Chives said, his face growing more and more pained as he could feel Lawrence begin to breath quicker. “It’s what your mother wants.” He pulled Lawrence away, who had latched onto Chives like a leech. Lawrence’s face was streaked with tears, and his blue eyes looked like two glassy raindrops. Chives brought a finger up to Lawrence’s lashes, saying, “Don’t cry, your highness.”

Chives knew he had a soft spot for the prince. Working for the Bennett family was Chive’s first and only job, and he had spent Lawrence’s entire life caring for him. He was, in a sense, the prince’s one and only friend. It hurt to see him so upset, especially over something he couldn’t explain. 

“But you don’t agree with her, do you?” Lawrence asked, sniffling. “Don’t you think she worries too much?”

“She wants to protect you,” Chives reassured him. “You’re her only son, after all.”

“That doesn’t mean I need to be kept a secret,” Lawrence said, hopping off the bed and storming off towards his balcony. Chives followed him, aware of his movements yet careful to give the prince his space. Lawrence threw open the balcony doors and stared out at the endless sea before him. His bedroom was the highest room pointed towards the very back of the castle, specifically so that nobody would see him out there. 

“Remember, your mother is the Queen of all Three Kingdoms.” Chives peeked his head out onto the balcony, allowing the cold November air to sting his ears. “She has more enemies than you could count.”

“I guess…” Lawrence trailed off, leaning over the railing that separated him from the crystal blue waters surrounding the castle. “But I’ll be king one day, right?”

“Yes, your highness,” Chives said with a nod. “You’re the heir to the throne.” 

“Then everyone will have to know who I am,” Lawrence smiled, gripping the balcony railing tightly. “I’ll be the ruler of the Three Kingdoms.”

“You’ll be the ruler of many things,” Chives muttered. “Hopefully.”

Lawrence wasn’t listening, as he was busy fantasizing. The sun radiated off his golden hair as he turned to flash Chives an excited smile. 

“When I’m king, I want everybody from all the three kingdoms to come and visit me in my castle.” He grinned at Chives, giving him a goofy thumbs-up. “ People will come from Aerelon, Westray, and Kald. We’ll have parties every single night. Even the monsters can come.”

Chive’s face deflated, his bottom lip quivering slightly. He quickly adjusted his hair and his waistcoat, careful not to let the prince see a slip in his disposition. 

“You’re a remarkable person, Lawrence. I never want you to forget that.”

“Why would I?” Lawrence asked, his smile growing slightly more confused. “I know I’m great.”

Chives smiled sadly as he muttered, “I just hope your attitude never changes. Aerelon needs a leader like you.”

“You’re great too, Chives.” Lawrence ran up and threw his arms over Chive’s shoulders, hugging him tightly. Chives shook his head as he hugged Lawrence back, his face taking on a tired and pained expression. 

“You flatter me, my Prince.” Lawrence pulled away and Chives quickly adjusted his face, pulling out his pocket watch once more and making a dramatic turn on his heel. “Right then, I’ll grab your breakfast, then we have tutoring at half past ten.” 

Lawrence watched as his butler disappeared from his bedroom. He looked out over the swirling Aerelon waters once more, watching as the waves folded so effortlessly into one another. 

There had to be a way. Some way that he could sneak out, just for the morning, without anybody noticing him leave. He thought quietly to himself for a moment before his face light up with realization, and he darted back into his bedroom. He threw the doors of his wardrobe open and grabbed the first cloak he could find, as well as a small pouch of gold, and headed off for the hallways of the castle. 

The many spiral staircases would normally be a bit tricky to navigate, but Lawrence was on a mission. He knew exactly where he needed to go, thought that didn’t lesson the anxiety that was running through his mind. Was Chives right? Why was he so adamant about staying inside today? Regardless, it couldn’t be that bad. Aerelon was the safest place in the Three Kingdoms. Chives was just being overprotective. 

Reaching the bottom of the final staircase, Lawrence felt a shudder climb up his spine. He was at the entrance to the dungeons now, and it wasn’t often that he came down here. He didn’t like seeing or acknowledging the fact that this was a part of his castle, but today, he would have to make an exception. 

Walking down to the front door, Lawrence was greeted by a guard in shiny iron armor. He was standing by the entrance, his helmet off and propped against the wall. He bowed low, which impressed Lawrence, since the armor looked much too clunky for such a flexible move. 

“How can I help you, your highness?” The guard sounded old and tired, but Lawrence tried not to let it bother him. 

“My mother asked me to come check on the prisoners. I wanted to make sure they were being dealt with appropriately.”

“Your majesty did not inform us that you would be coming,” The guard said, eyeing Lawrence with an heir of suspicion. Lawrence shrugged, raising an eyebrow. “I’m surprised Charles let you come all the way down here alone.” 

Lawrence narrowed his eyebrows. “Chives didn’t mind, he said it was best I did what my mother asked of me. But if you’d like, I can go back and let her know that you denied me entry.”

The guard’s face twisted with anxiety as he held his arms out, motioning for Lawrence to stay.

“T-That won’t be necessary, your highness!” The guard pulled the large ring of keys off his belt and undid the lock, outstretching his arm so that Lawrence could enter. “Would you like someone to accompany you?”

“I’m alright,” Lawrence said as he showed himself inside. 

The prison cells were barely six feet by five. The walls were the thick grey stone, with moss and dirt covering nearly every inch. The only light source was a small opening towards the ceiling of each cell, with thick metal bars and no glass. In the summer the fresher air was a relief, helping to alleviate the stench of the prisoners rotting bodies. But in the cold seasons it let in a wicked draft and reduced the temperature to near freezing. Furniture was nearly nonexistent, each cell only holding one plank of wood that was labeled a ‘bed’. 

Lawrence tried to ignore the alarming number of people that were chained inside of these cells. He had been down here only twice before with his butler, who thought it was important that he saw the way his mother ran a dungeon. The only thing that Lawrence remembered about the dungeons were that they were full of dying people, and that guards were getting fired and rehired every week. His mother had little patience for staff who couldn’t do their jobs correctly, so Lawrence figured that there had to be a spare set of armor down here somewhere. All of the prisoners eyed him with envy as he passed, slumped over in their rags and sitting in piles of dirt. One of the prisoners reached out towards Lawrence’s foot and he yelped, nearly falling over from shock. 

“Please,” A young woman said, her face as pale as paper, “A spare ration?”

“A what?” Lawrence asked, pulling his foot away. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t have anything to give you.”

The woman’s face fell and Lawrence felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He fumbled around in his vest pocket and pulled out a piece of gold, sliding it into the cell. Before the woman could say anything else, Lawrence took off, saying, “I’ll pray for you tonight.”

After passing a few more cells, Lawrence finally laid his eyes on what he was looking for; the small room at the end of the dungeon hallways. He swung open the door and was greeted with all sorts of supplies, from wooden crates of extra shackles to a few jugs if water for the prisoners. Towards the corner, he saw exactly what he was looking for; an old, crumpled set of knights armor. 

He rushed towards it, looking over his shoulder before pulling it out of its slumped position. He coughed harshly as mounds of dust swirled through the air, flaking off the armor. Lawrence had never seen so much dust in life, but he did his best to wipe it with his hands and make it look as new as possible. 

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the hood of his cloak up over his head, scared to let any of the sweaty iron armor touch his skin. He nearly gagged as he hurled the giant helmet over his head, doing his best to make as little noise as possible. He stumbled as he pulled on the shin armor, ramming into the stone wall and falling over. An incredibly loud clanking sound filled the dungeon and Lawrence bit his lip, hoping that nobody would come to investigate it before he could finish dressing himself. He pulled the other shin covering on and tried to stand up, but the sheer weight of the armor was absolutely too much for him to stand in. As he was struggling, two guards emerged from the twisting hallways. 

“Arthur?” The guards asked as they saw Lawrence fumbling. Lawrence blinked behind the large armor mask, nodding immediately. The guards groaned and held out their arms, helping Lawrence to his feet. 

“You’ve got to get used to wearing the armor,” One of the guards said. “These prisoners can be real violent.” 

“Her majesty would be livid if she saw you stumbling around like that,” The other guard said as he shook his head. “I know you’re new on the job, but you’ve been here almost a week now. Get it together.” 

The two guards left down another one of the twisting hallways, chittering to one another. Lawrence stood, dumbfounded, before he seized the opportunity and stumbled out through the dungeon doors. Whoever Arthur was, Lawrence could definitely sympathize with the difficulty that came with wearing such heavy armor. He walked out passed the main dungeon guard, who looked at him with the same exasperated expression as the other guards had. Lawrence thanked the Gods that he had the same clumsy disposition as Arthur and clunked his way up the stairs out straight out the castle front doors. 

The air was bitter and cold, and Lawrence lifted up the iron visor on his helmet just a tad. He had never been right outside the castle doors before. Before him were countless other guards and knights, some standing at attention, others sitting off to the side with their helmets off. Lawrence swallowed hard and started walking, slowly getting the hang of the heavy armor. He walked straight across the bridge that separated the castle from the rest of the world, but towards the end, it turned into more of a run. He had never been this far across the bridge in his entire life. Picking up speed, he was nearly at the very edge before a sharp voice shouted, “Hey, you!”

Lawrence’s stomach jumped as he turned, nearly falling over himself once again. A guard came hustling up towards him, wagging a finger. 

“What are you doing leaving your post?”

Lawrence cursed himself silently and quickly tried to think of any excuse that he could. 

“Uh-.” He stammered, peeking out of the visor of his helmet and desperately surveying his surroundings. He saw a merchant cart stuffed with flower arrangements, and he rolled with the idea. “Her majesty has sent me out to collect some flower arrangements,” Lawrence said, trying his best to make his soft, melodic voice sound like a middle aged man. The guard nodded, turning on his heel. 

“If her majesty said it, you better hurry. Make sure to get ones that are fresh.” 

“Of course.” Lawrence nodded and immediately took off for the Capitol, running off to a small area that was cluttered with trees and other shrubbery. 

His armor clacked together as he ran past the merchants and civilians until he was off in a secluded little area. Shedding off the iron suit, Lawrence sighed in relief. He took a deep breath and inhaled the freezing autumn air, absolutely ecstatic. Popping out from behind the tree, he gasped as he saw the Capitol up close for the first time. Hundreds, no-thousands of people, all smiling and dancing around one another. People were jumping and eating and tossing coins into the magnificent Capitol fountain, and Lawrence was bouncing with excitement. He dawned the hood of his cape and set off into the heart of the Capitol, with only his enigmatic smile peeking out from the shadow of his hood.


	3. The Heart Of The Capitol

The roads leading up to the capitol were full of bustling merchants, shops, and children running through snow crusted leaves and slipping on ice. Finneas could feel his mouth slowly dropping in awe as he walked closer, his stomach flipping in anticipation. The sheer excitement of it all was starting to consume him. Cobblestone streets flooded into one another, lanterns lighting every section of the road. The light dripped down on the stone like glimmering water, and Finn entered the Capitol of Aerelon just as the sun was starting to set. Walking past the many carts and buildings on the side streets, he was taken aback as a young woman rushed in front of him. 

“Magnificent,” The lady said, pointing at Finn’s sword. “You should get it sharpened over at my shop.” She gestured to a small shop behind her, which had a rustic feeling to it. It looked a little older than the buildings it was sat next to, and for some reason, it looked completely empty. Finn raised his eyebrows, placing his hand on the pouch of silver by his belt. 

“Thanks, but I’m kind of in a hurry.”

“You’re here because of the Queen’s message, right?” She tossed her red hair over her shoulder and gave Finn a smirk. Finn tried to walk around her, but she jumped in front of him again. “Why not sharpen your sword? If you want to impress her, your must keep your blade in good condition.” 

Finn stopped, touching his sheathed sword at his side. He knew the woman was just trying to make a sale, but she did have a point. Considering the amount of elite monster hunters that would be standing before the queen, maybe sprucing up his sword wasn’t such a bad idea. Finn rolled his eyes, huffing in defeat.

“Alright, I guess it couldn’t hurt. How much?”

“For you?” The woman beamed. “I’ll knock it down to nine silvers.”

Finn nearly stopped breathing as he heard the outrageous price leave the woman’s lips. He could feel his face flush with anxiety as the women cocked her head to the side. 

“I’m only joking,” She said, clearly alarmed by Finn taking her so seriously. “It only costs one silver.”

Finn glared at the snickering woman as he showed himself into the shop. He was surprised to see that it was dark, cluttered, and nearly empty. The tables were covered with purple and black cloths, all with magic sigils and designs. Candles were sitting in the dimly lit corners, and a few lanterns were hung up on the ceiling. Every shelf was full of books and maps and knickknacks, all collecting dust. It was a little obvious to Finn now why the woman outside was pushing so hard for customers. 

The only other people inside were a woman behind the front counter, and a random figure in a cloak. The figure was standing on his tip toes to see over a table of magic cards, but he kept losing his balance. The heels of his shoes clacked repeatedly on the wooden floors, drawing Finn’s attention even more. The hood of a large, blue robe was hiding his face, but it was doing a poor job of covering the rest of him. Finn could tell by the way he was dressed, he didn’t belong in this shop at all. The covered figure wore long black pants and a silky white shirt, with a gleaming blue vest that was buttoned tightly to show off his stem-thin figure. His ensemble was finished off with a cute blue bow tied tightly around his neck, and an array of golden bracelets and rings decorating his fingers and wrists. Finn must have been staring, because the shop owner cleared her throat and caused Finn to nearly jump out of his skin. 

“Can I help either of you?”

The cloaked figure stood up straight, stepping back on the heels of his shoes. He seemed surprised that he was noticed, as if the gleaming golden cloak was enough of a disguise to make him invisible. Finn tried to gather his thoughts. 

“I just need to get this sharpened,” Finn said as he began to unsheathe his sword. “I figure it’s a special occasion.”

The shop keep grinned as Finn placed his sword on top of her table. She was a short and stout woman, with bunches of curly black hair that we’re tied back with a scarf. Adjusting her large glasses, she got a better look at Finn’s sword. 

“Excited for the Queen’s announcement?” The shop keep said, eyeing the blade curiously. “This is an impressive sword.”

“Thanks,” Finn said with a smile. “It was my fathers. He was an S class monster hunter.”

“Really?” The shop keep nodded in surprise, pushing her glasses up higher on her nose. “I can tell by the blade, this thing probably slices through monsters no problem.”

“My dad was Lucas Gray,” Finn said, his smile widening with each mention of his father. “You name it, he killed it.” 

The shop keep’s face drained of color as she looked at Finn in amazement. “Lucas Gray?” She repeated. “The man who killed…”

“Dracula,” The cloaked figure said from the back of the shop. Finn looked behind him with surprise to notice that the cloaked person could even speak. He stood in the shadows towards the back of the shop, but was slowly inching forward. “I’ve heard of Lucas Gray, but I don’t know too much about him.” 

“Oh yeah?” Finn said, a little unsettled by the cloaked figure’s demeanor. “Lots of people have heard of him, he’s pretty famous.”

“So he killed lots of monsters? Like…real, scary ones?”

“Uh,” Finn stammered, grabbing at the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Yeah? What other kind of monsters are there?”

“You know, storybook kinds.” The cloaked figure stepped forwards slightly, and began to talk with his hands. Finn noticed his slender fingers and wrists, covered in golden jewelry that glistened in the natural window light of the shop. “Like, the big ones. Zombies, ghouls, werwolves? You know?”

“Yeah,” Finn said, cocking his head in confusion. “Those would be monsters.”

“So they are real?”

“Of course they are,” Finn said, more aggressive with his tone than he had intended. “Do you live under a rock?”

“Where can I see one?” The figure asked. He balled up his hands, clearly getting more and more excited with every word. Finn glared with suspicion coating his expression. 

“You want to see a monster?” He asked. 

“Of course, and I want to see a monster hunter slay one right in front of me.” The figure clapped his hands together, causing his bracelets to jangle against one another. “Like a battle to the death, you know?” He did a little jump, the heels of his pristine black shoes clacking on the shop floor again. “Like, a monster has me cornered, and then out of nowhere a magnificent monster hunter leaps in front of me and skewers it!” He moved his arm as if he was impaling an invisible beast. “Oh, and then after they kill it, they can scoop me up and carry me away from the hideous scene! Gods, doesn’t that sound amazing?”

Finn’s eyebrows knit as he scowled, shocked at what he was hearing from the cloaked figure. Finn couldn’t see his face, but the fact that he was so enthusiastic about something so morbid was unsettling. He turned back around to watch his sword being sharped. “Look, I don’t know what kinda joke you’re pulling, but it isn’t cute.” Finn glared towards the hooded figure, jamming his hands into his pockets. “My dad died from his fight with Dracula.”

“Really?” 

“Yes rea-!”

“That’s incredible!” The figure came forward and Finn drew back, bumping into the counter behind him. “Do you know exactly what happened? Did he stab Dracula with a silver blade, and then his minions ripped your father to-.”

Without thinking, Finn pushed his arms out and connected with the figures shoulders, shoving him away. He wasn’t expecting to shove him quite so hard, however, and gasped as the figure stumbled backwards and knocked into one of the store shelves. He fell hard, the hood of his cloak snapping back and exposing his startled face. A few books came tumbling down off the shelf, dropping down on the figure’s head. Finn covered his mouth without realizing, as he noticed that the boy under the cloak looked nothing like he was expecting. 

He had the face of an angel. A pair of large blue eyes masked behind long lashes sat above a sweet, button nose. The boy’s hair was a beautiful gold, and it was pulled back and braided into the most elaborate style Finn had ever seen. Definitely more elaborate than anything Arya or his mother had worn, even on a holiday. He had incredibly pale skin that was tinted red from the cold, and crescent shaped eyebrows that inclined slightly as he noticed Finn staring. Finn looked towards the floor, sharply trying to catch his breath. The cloaked figure was quite literally, breathtaking. 

“Sorry,” Finn said, taking a few cautious steps forward and outstretching a hand. “I didn’t mean to-”

“No, I apologize.” He grabbed Finn’s hand and stood up, finally looking him in the eyes. “I suppose asking about your father like that was a little…unnecessary.” He smirked softly at Finn.“I didn’t intend to come across as rude, I was just curious.” His speech changed almost immediately, his words now flowing effortlessly into one another. “What I meant was, your dad seems like he was an amazing monster hunter. That’s incredibly admirable. I can’t imagine the burden his death must have left on you. Truly, I’m very sorry.” 

Finn glanced back up at him and once again, he was entranced. The only thing he could stammer was a quiet, “Who even are you?”

“I’m Lawrence,” The boy smiled. “You are?”

“Finneas. You can call me Finn, I guess.” 

“You’re not from here, I figure?” 

Finn raised his eyebrows, realizing that Lawrence was staring at his clothes. Finn was wearing a moss colored tunic and burlap pants that were held up with an old rope, and he realized they were probably doing little to impress. Even his boots were a crude color of brown that resembled wet dirt. He turned away embarrassed as he placed a piece of silver on the counter. 

“No, I’m from Direburgh.” 

The shop keep handed him his sword, and Finn nearly knocked over one of the small shop tables he was so adamant on leaving. 

“Well, since you don’t know the area, I’ll show you around.” Lawrence jumped in front of Finn with a smile. His teeth were perfect and straight, and Finn wouldn’t have been surprised if a comedic sparkle came glinting off Lawrence’s smile. “It’s the least I can do.”

“If you insist,” Finn said under his breath, pushing the door open and letting it slam into Lawrence. The blond scrambled under the door as Finn watched him, honestly shocked that somebody could be so uncoordinated that they couldn’t catch a door. 

“I can tell people from Direburgh are lacking in manners,” Lawrence muttered as he struggled to readjust himself. “Who drops a door on the pr-?”  
Lawrence covered his own mouth as Finn looked at him, confused. Lawrence laughed awkwardly, waving his hands around his face. “Never mind, forget I said anything. It was charming, really. Having doors held open for you all the time is exhausting.”

Finn rolled his eyes as Lawrence trotted to keep up with him, still trying to salvage the conversation. “Direburgh is one of Aerelon’s most quant cities. I would love to visit it some day.”

“No you wouldn’t,” Finn said, shaking his head. “We’re starving over there.”

“Really?” Lawrence asked. “Where’s all the food?” 

“Not in Direburgh, that’s for sure.” 

The two walked in silence for a few moments, until they reached the heart of the Capitol. It was stuffed with ecstatic people and lively crowds, something Finn had never experienced. It was a cold wind for November, but the streets were warm with scattered lanterns, merchants, dancers, and people dressed in extravagant clothing. The air was lien with the hot scents of frying pancakes and sausages and powdery-sweet waffles cooked right there by the roadside. A band was playing upbeat music by a magnificent fountain, which was reflecting the glimmering lights of the street lanterns. People were dancing and swinging around the band and up by the fountain, allowing themselves to let loose in the evening wind. Finn could see the castle in the close distance, peeking up past a heavy bridge that separated the Capitol from the castle courtyard. 

“It’s amazing…” Lawrence muttered, shivering as he pulled his royal blue cloak tighter around his body. Finn looked at him curiously, wondering why someone would expect a cape like that to keep them warm.

“You seem cold,” Finn said finally, as he watched Lawrence tremble inside of his cloak. 

“Oh, I am.” The boy said it with such enthusiasm, it was hard to decipher if he was actually serious. “But it’s sort of exciting, you know? I’ve never been this cold before.” He pulled the fabric up higher on his body, desperate to sap it of any more warmth. “I feel like an ordinary person.” 

Finn sighed, his breath spiraling into a frozen cloud. He couldn’t tell if spending time around this peppy rich boy was exciting, or exhausting. Maybe a combination of the two. 

“I’ll trade with you,” Finn said, untying the string of his own cloak. “It’s wolf fur, so it’ll keep you warm.”

“You mean it?” Lawrence was beaming as he exchanged cloaks with Finn. Finn grabbed the cloak from him, immediately impressed by the plush velvet feeling. It was a deep blue, lined with a shiny fabric inside of it. Finn threw it over his shoulders, letting the previous warmth it had already soaked in cover his back. It was definitely more of a fashion piece, rather than a practical one. Finn’s cloak nearly swallowed Lawrence, but the blond looked thrilled regardless. He popped his head out of the furry hood and smiled, causing Finn to look away, embarrassed. 

“So what are you doing out here, Finny?” Lawrence asked as he tied a knot into the string of the wolf fur cloak. “Direburgh is pretty far, no? Lots of monsters out in those woods.” 

“It’s Finneas,” Finn said as he felt his face growing warmer. "And the Queen is scouting for a knight. I’m going to do my best to impress her.”

“So I hear,” Lawrence said. “It’s all anyone will talk about.”

“It’s a big deal,” Finn said. “For people like me, at least. A herald came all the way to Direburgh to tell people.” 

“I have no idea why she needs another one,” Lawrence pondered. He hopped up on the curb of the road, holding his arms out to the side to keep his balance. “Even if she did, she could just take one from that school.”

“Exeter Academy?” Finn snorted as he spoke the name of the school so casually. “That’s what I was wondering. Gods, if I had a million pieces of gold to spare, I’d love to go there.” Finn grinned to himself as he eyed his freshly sharpened sword strapped tightly to body. “But I’m going to have to try my best to outshine those monster hunters.”

“Maybe you’ll have a chance to impress her, now that you’ve got a nice cloak.” Lawrence pointed at Finn’s tunic and pants once again, which were covered by the velvet cloak he had gave him. Finn scowled as Lawrence snickered, hopping off the curb and taking off towards the fountain in the middle of the Capitol. “Come on, Finny!”

Finn reluctantly walked up beside him, bashfully muttering, “My name is Finneas.” Lawrence smiled and took Finn by the hands, pulling him into a group of dancers. Ladies in long, flowing skirts danced circles around the two as Lawrence lead Finn to the fountain. They sat down on the cool stone edge, gazing into the mesmerizing water. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Lawrence said as he noticed Finn’s awe enveloped gaze. “It’s so different to actually be here, rather than watch it from a window.”

“You mean you don’t come here all the time?” Finn asked, surprised. “Don’t you live in the Capitol?”

Lawrence recoiled. “What makes you think that?” He asked. Finn grabbed at the cloak wrapped over his body that he had swapped with Lawrence. 

“Look at the way you’re dressed,” Finn said with a laugh. “You definitely didn’t come from Direburgh like I did.”

“So it’s that obvious?” Lawrence muttered, punting a rock with the tip of his polished shoe.

“A little bit,” Finn shot Lawrence a tiny smile. “I mean, you have a bow around your neck.”

“Well, obviously,” Lawrence said. “You expect me to wear a pin tuck shirt without some sort of a necktie?”

“My point exactly,” Finn chuckled. “But if you live in the Capitol, why don’t you spend all your time out here?”

“I don’t come outside much,” Lawrence’s smile grew smaller as he spoke, his finger tracing the cold stone of the fountain. “I’m not in the best of health. My butler would probably drop dead from fear if he knew I was out here.”

“You’re sick?”

“Yeah, kind of.” Lawrence shrugged, swinging his feet back and forth. “It’s a blood disease. If I don’t take my medication, I’m in bed for the next week.” 

“I’m sorry,” Finn said, sheepishly grabbing the back of his neck. “My family has to stay inside a lot too, since there’s so many monsters. I’ve never seen any of this stuff in real life. To be honest, I thought it was all made up.”

“This is how it always is in the capital,” Lawrence said. “They never have to worry. Since the Exeter Academy was built, there’s monster hunters all over the perimeter of Aerelon. A monster hasn’t gotten in since about twenty years from now.” He looked at over at Finn and gave him an effortless wink. “Good thing, too. Monsters are terribly ugly.”

Finn laughed and gave Lawrence a shove, trying to hide the fact that his cheeks were turning progressively more pink. He pulled the hood of Lawrence’s cloak up over his head. Lawrence giggled, turning towards the fountain and pulling two gold pieces out of the pocket in his vest. Finn’s breathing hitched as he Lawrence handed him one of the coins, smiling. 

“You’re just giving this to me?” Finn asked, almost afraid to touch it. Lawrence nodded. 

“Duh, you have to make a wish when you visit the Capitol fountain.” He held the piece of gold up, trying to find the perfect angle to toss it in. “At least, that’s what I’ve read in stories.”

“You can’t throw gold into a fountain!” Finn grabbed Lawrence by the wrist, snatching the gold out of his hand. Lawrence looked at his surprised, their noses nearly touching as Finn realized how close he had gotten. He pulled away immediately, clearing his throat and handing Lawrence the coins. 

“Take them back. If you want to make a wish, we can use mine.”

Finn reached into his backpack and pulled out a single copper piece, handing it over to Lawrence. The blond looked at it curiously, plucking it from Finn’s grip and holding it up to the light.

“What’s this?”

“You’re joking, right?” Finn shook his head in amazement. “There’s no way you’ve never seen a copper piece.” 

Lawrence was hardly listening as he squeezed the copper in his hands and shut his eyes for a moment, then smiled and handed it back to Finn. 

“You make a wish too,” He said, “But don’t say it out loud.”

Finn reluctantly took the copper and stared at it, watching as the splashing water from the fountain reflected off its shiny coating. What to wish for? Well, there were lots of practical things to wish for. He could wish for money, or more food for his family, or for the Queen to pick him as her monster hunter. But, in this moment…

Lawrence leaned in closer, his smile growing more and more eager. The setting sunlight was bouncing off his blue eyes as he waited for Finn’s answer. “Did you make a wish?” He asked, holding out his hand. “You can whisper it to me.”

Finn smirked at him, dropping the copper into Lawrence’s outstretched palm and shaking his head. 

“I can’t tell you, or it won’t come true.”

Lawrence balled up his fist and set the copper sailing into the air, the two of them watching as it submerged into the fountain water with a ‘plop’. He looked at Finn with a sneaky expression before suddenly darting up from the fountain and calling out, “Watch this!”

Out of nowhere, Lawrence ran up to one of the street performers by the fountain and started chatting with her. Before Finn could even realize what was happening, Lawrence was holding a stranger’s violin and an entire ring of people were surrounding the fountain. 

His slender fingers graced the boa and suddenly, the entire area was filled with the most beautiful music Finn had ever heard. Lawrence wasn’t just playing the violin; he was making it sing. The strings were emitting a mesmerizing melody, somewhat harrowing in the way it enveloped the crowd’s attention so quickly. Finn expected people to be shouting or cheering, but everyone was dead silent as they listened. It was almost…unsettling.

Lawrence winked at Finn, and the trance was broken. Finn’s face flushed as he looked away, embarrassed that he was so invested in the music. He was so enveloped in the melody, he almost didn’t notice the person running towards him, feverishly calling his name. The crowd of people all started training their necks to see who could disrupt such beautiful music, and there in the sea of people, Finn saw someone that he recognized. 

“Arya!” Finn gasped as he saw his little sister running up towards him, waving her hands like a maniac. Her old rain-boots were clomping on the Capitol streets, and her pants were nearly falling off of her she was running so quickly. His mother must have finally taken a brush to her matted hair, because it was freshly wet and twisted into a long braid that ran down her back. 

“Are you insane?” Finn cried as she finally caught up to him and immediately doubled over, panting. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I came-to give you-you forgot-“ Arya was viciously panting as she tried to catch her breath. She went to look up towards her brother, but her gaze instantly traveled over to Lawrence. 

“Woah,” Arya muttered. Lawrence was walking back over towards them, minus the violin. He gave her a warm smile, and her cheeks tinted pink. “You’re really beautiful,” She said. 

Lawrence smirked and gave a heartfelt, “Thank you.” 

“What is someone like you tagging around with my brother for?” Arya put her hand beside her mouth as if she was telling Lawrence a secret, even though her normal voice sounded like shouting. “You know he wears his pants inside out?”

“Arya!” Finn gasped, his face flushing bright red. 

“No seriously, all the time. It’s like a regular thing.” Finn lunged towards her, but she slipped out of his reach. “What?” Arya asked, laughing like a goose. “Did you see him? No way he’s talking to you for no reason.” 

“Yes I saw him,” Finn hissed, grabbing his sister by the wrist. “More importantly, why the hell are you here? No, how are you here?”

“You forgot this,” Arya said, throwing her bag off her shoulder and digging through it. She pulled out a small leather box, with the letters LG carved into it. Finn picked it up, astonished.

“Oh my Gods,” Finn said, feeling the leather against his fingers. “How did I forget this?”

“What is it?” Lawrence asked, peeking over Finn’s shoulder. Finn held it up so that Lawrence could see. “It’s my dad’s old monster hunting kit. It’s got stuff to kill all sorts of specialty monsters.” 

“Amazing,” Lawrence said, his eyes lighting up with excitement. “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard of.”

“As a thank you,” Arya said with a smirk, “I’ll be going on that monster hunting mission with you.”

“Not a chance,” Finn said, stuffing the leather box into his own bag. 

“Huh?” Arya cried, cocking her head to the side. “Why not?”

“First of all, I didn’t even get the mission yet. How did you even get here?”

“I walked, just like you.”

“You’re joking,’ Finn said, flabbergasted. “It was a three day walk!”

“So?” Arya shrugged. “I was right behind you. I watched that goblin punch you in the head.”

Finn swatted at his sister, who snickered in response. 

“You’re a menace,” He hissed. “I have to take you home.”

“What?” Arya stomped one of her clunky rain boots into the ground. “But I just got here. I want to meet the Queen with you!” 

“It’s not safe out here for you,” Finn said, wresting with his sister and trying to grab her by the arm. “You could have died coming here!”

“Yeah, but I didn’t.” Arya gestured to the people that filled the streets of the Capitol. “Besides, ain’t this the safest place to be?”

“Technically,” Finn said between clenched teeth, “But that-!”

“Then I’m staying here with you and pretty boy.” Arya wrapped her hands around Lawrence’s arm and squeezed. Finn glared at her, opening his mouth to retort, but he was quickly cut off by an odd sound. 

He looked up, scanning the sky to see where it could have come from. In in the distance, he saw what looked like a black bird flying over the Queen’s castle. It was a little ways away, but it was emitting a screech that was starting to quiet the entire Capitol. People began following Finn’s lead and looking up towards the sky, and as the beast grew closer, the happy faces of the Capitol civilians dropped into pure horror.


	4. Two Decades Lost

The creature appeared almost like a bat, but hideously deformed. It was huge, barreling through the sky like this was its first time ever flying. It clumsily wavered high and low in the air, screeching horribly loud as it bared its razor sharp fangs.

The Capitol turned into a war zone. People scattered like rats, dashing from one end of the street to the other; screaming, crying, sprinting for their lives. Merchant carts were completely knocked over as people scrambled, tripping over their own feet to get away. Lanterns cracked and shattered in the process, leaving small patches of flame for people to run through. 

“It’s a monster!” A man cried, grabbing a child by the hand and taking off away from the Capitol.

“No, it can’t be!” A woman shouted, dropping to her knees. “There hasn’t been a monster in Areleon in decades!”

Lawrence was awe struck as he staggered backwards, his eyes fixated on the soaring beast. His knees buckled and he nearly fainted, stumbling into Finn’s arms.  
“W-what the…” His face was twisted with shock as Finn threw Lawrence behind him, gripping the handle of his sword. “What is that?” 

“I have no idea,” Finn said, narrowing his eyebrows. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

A loud siren began blaring inside of the Capitol as lines and lines of people in white uniforms came barreling into the streets. The front of their white vests all read “Exeter Academy’, and they dawned massive, glinting weapons. They marched into the Capitol, past the chaos, and began to form straight lines in front of the citizens. Finn looked over towards the castle in the distance, and the draw bridge had been pulled up. Thousands of guards in glinting iron armor stood out by the castle entrance, all with their own weapons. A few of the Exeter Academy students started drawing bows and arrows, attempting to land one on the flying monster. 

“Finny,” Lawrence said, gripping tightly onto Finn’s shoulders. Finn held out his arm, blocking Lawrence from getting any closer to the chaos. “I’m…I’m scared.”

“Don’t be scared,” Finn said, trying his best to steady his stance so that his trembling legs weren’t obvious. “Arya, get behind Lawrence.” Finn heard nothing in response, and he hastily looked over his shoulder. He suddenly heard Arya scream, and he snapped his gaze forward. Arya was charging the monster, dagger in hand, sprinting right past all of the Exeter Academy students. “Son of a-!” Finn grabbed Lawrence by the hand and darted off towards his sister, holding his sword up above his head. “Arya, get over here!”

“Finn, I think it’s undead!” Arya called out to her brother, squinting her eyes to get a better view at the monster. “Look at its fangs!”

Finn couldn’t help but smile a bit as he heard her say that. He knew there was no chance of an undead monster surviving a strike from the same silver sword that slaughtered Dracula. Looking up, the monster unhinged its massive mouth unnaturally wide, and Finn could really see the sharp set of fangs it possessed. He was so enveloped in the monster’s teeth, Finn failed to pay attention to where the monster’s eyes were looking. 

They were staring directly at Lawrence. 

The monster dove suddenly, its wings ripping through the air as it soared closer. Lawrence screamed and darted off in the opposite direction, stumbling over himself in fear. The monster dove low and Lawrence leapt out of the way, crashing into a wooden merchant wagon that was carrying various vegetables. The wagon snapped in half as Lawrence landed on it, and the monster soared passed him. 

Finn gritted his teeth as he watched, cupping his hands around his mouth and calling out to Lawrence. Lawrence stirred a bit, and Finn sighed with relief. He glared up at the monster, angrily gripping the handle of his sword. His fingers were parted just slightly, so that the small engraving of his father's initials was visible. 

“Hey!” Finn called, steadying himself on the top of the fountain and waving his sword, hoping that the moon light would reflect off the glinting silver. “Look over here!”

The beast pumped its wings in the air, barley giving Finn a second glance until its eyes honed in on the handle of Finn’s sword. It screeched horribly loud and tore through the air, barreling towards Finn.

“Hey kid, move out of the way!” A girl with a pixie cut jumped up onto the fountain next to Finn. She was wearing an Exteter Academy jacket, but the wrinkles on her face suggested that she was much older than a student. She held out a large, silver gun, and shouted, “Let the professionals handle this!” 

Finn held his stance, eyeing the monsters as it dove closer and closer to him. He took a deep breath and leapt off the fountain, hurling his sword up over his head and waiting for the perfect second to strike. The monster came flying straight towards the sword, and Finn slammed the blade up against its face. As soon as the glinting silver touched the monster’s nose, its flesh began to sear off of its body. It yelped as Finn made the cut, though the monster’s skull was so thick, Finn’s sword stopped halfway through. He yanked it back out, ready to make another incision, but the beast was spiraling out of the sky. The ruby flesh of the monster’s face was peeling off like pencil shavings, exposing the bones in its skull. It suddenly stopped flying and began to sink out of the sky, hurtling quickly to the ground. The monster’s shadow began to grow larger and larger over the broken merchant cart that Lawrence was lying in. 

“Lawrence, move!”

Lawrence looked up, dazed and confused as the monster plummeted directly towards him. Finn cursed under his breath and charged forward, diving into the broken merchant cart and wrapping Lawrence in his grip. He held his sword up over his head, squinting his eyes shut and silently praying to every God and deity his family believed in. The second the monster’s unconscious body fell against Finn’s blade, its body split in half and flew to opposite sides of the Capitol. A massive burst of air rushed over them as people screamed, running to avoid being squashed by the monster's corpse. Each half landed with a thud and sat immobilized, steaming and disintegrating. 

Finn opened his eyes and saw Lawrence, huddled in his arms. Arya came sprinting forward, holding something in her hands. 

“Finn, look!” She presented Finn with a tooth, incredibly large and eerily sharp.

“Are you alright?” Finn asked, outstretching an arm toward his sister. Arya ran up and hugged him, but only for a second as her excitement took over. 

“This fell outta the monster’s mouth when you wacked it,” Arya held the tooth up so that the moonlight could glint off the horrifically sharp point. “It must have been undead, since your sword cut it up so well.”

“Plus it didn’t bleed at all, it just burned from the silver.” Finn shakily regained his footing, standing up and helping Lawrence rise to his feet. “Are you okay, Lawrence?” Lawrence groaned as he held out his hand, letting Finn take it in his own. The palm of Lawrence’s hand was sliced harshly by the wood, the skin around the wound slowly turning purple. “It’s a pretty deep cut, but you’re not bleeding. I'm glad nothing worse happened.” Finn reached into his backpack and pulled out a small bandage, wrapping Lawrence’s hand up as best he could. “I’ll clean it once we get out of here.”

“Finn,” Arya said, tugging on the back of her brother’s tunic, “Look.”

A surprisingly tall man in iron armor came up towards the three of them, accompanied by a few men in regal looking clothing. They were carrying garnet red flags, with the Bennett family arms embroidered in thick black thread. Finn’s stomach flipped as he recognized the symbol, scrambling to his feet and leaving Lawrence in the pile of broken wood. He bowed, nearly falling over as he threw his head down violently and then immediately back up. The guard cringed and outstretched his hand. 

“No need for that,” He said as he watched Arya attempt an even more botched version of the bow her brother just gave. “I only came to fetch the person who slayed the beast.”

Finn nervously sheathed his sword, pulling his cloak away from his throat and muttering, “Uh, that would be me? I guess.”

The guard’s relaxed expression quickly turned suspicious, as he leaned in closer. His eyes fell onto the button that fastened Finn’s cloak, which was gold and had a small emblem of a code of arms. The engraved picture was what looked to be a sword, stabbing into a thorny circle. It matched the flags that the guards were carrying exactly. 

With a quick draw of his breath, the guard said, “Your cloak,” as he harshly grabbed the fabric and yanked Finn closer. Finn gulped as the guard tightened his fist, immediately scanning the area. His eyes settled on Lawrence, who had the hood of Finn’s cloak pulled up over his head. The guard pushed Finn out of his grip and stomped over towards the broken wood, pushing the wolf fur hood off of Lawrence’s head. 

“Pri-!” The guard cut himself off, angrily biting his bottom lip. He grabbed Lawrence by his cloak and hurled him up onto his feat as if he weighed nothing. “What are you doing out here?” 

Lawrence said nothing as the guard pushed his nose closer into his face. Arya shoved herself forward, but Finn grabbed her by the shoulder and stopped her from intervening. 

“Letting some commoner wear a cloak with the family code of arms?” The guard continued. “What do you think people are going to assume when they see that?”

“I didn’t realize,” Lawrence said, struggling to pull away. “Besides, Finny isn’t a bad person. He’s the one who killed the-!”

The guard tore the cloak off Lawrence as his bearded face grew pink and sweaty with anger. Lawrence winced as Finn’s cloak was ripped off his body, leaving him standing in just his shirt and vest. The guard balled his fist around the collar of Lawrence’s shirt. 

“Let’s go. Now.” Lawrence yelped as the guard dragged him away by the neck of his shirt, shoving through the crowds of Exeter Academy students and remaining citizens. Finn and Arya looked at each other baffled, then darted off to follow the guard. 

The bridge towards the castle had been lowered again, and guards were quickly littering the area surrounding it. Finn felt himself get slightly anxious as they traveled over the bridge, past the deep water that surrounded the castle on every side. It was basically its own island, only connected to common land by the drawbridge. Lawrence yelped as the man in glinting armor grabbed him by the neck of his shirt, pulling him into the castle courtyards. Finn and Arya immediately awkwardly stood behind some of the elaborate shrubbery, nervous to make any sound that might irritate the guard. 

“I seriously caught you outside of the castle?” The man holding Lawrence said. His voice was booming and shaking with anger. Lawrence winced as he was pulled towards the castle, looking over his shoulder towards Finn. Finn gasped and grabbed Arya, leading her forward to keep their eyes on Lawrence. The two were hunched over, snaking around the courtyard and staying as low-key as absolutely possible. 

“Y-You’re hurting me,” Lawrence stammered as he was yanked past the dozens of other guards. He was basically being dragged, his feet stammering to keep up with the incredibly tall guard. The guard stopped walking, but didn’t loosen his grip. 

“Do you have any idea the pandemonium that you caused? Your mother almost fired a hundred guards when she realized you were missing.”

“All I did was go for a walk,” Lawrence whined, grabbing the guard by the wrist and trying to pull his grip apart. 

“You really are that stupid?” The guard sneered, curling the front of Lawrence’s shirt in his fist. “Who knows what you were doing tramping around the Capital? Giving your cloak to random people in the streets? The second someone finds out who you are, the entire Capital will know.”

Finn’s took a step back, tilting his head quizzically. Lawrence pouted as the guard continued to holler. 

“Apologize to me,” The guard growled. Lawrence scoffed. 

“I’m not sorry, though,” Lawrence turned up his nose as he looked away, “And I think you’re forgetting who you’re speaking to.” The guard grabbed Lawrence’s face with his thick armored fingers and squeezed his cheeks in between them. 

“I think you’re forgetting that if I lose my job, It’ll be your fault, fairy boy.” Lawrence scrunched up his button nose as the guard leaned in closer, his breath smelling of beer and cigars. 

“You’re forgetting that I couldn’t care less about your job.” 

The guard’s face twisted in anger as he raised an armored hand, and Lawrence ducked his head. Finn flinched away in fear, anticipating the harsh sound of armor colliding with skin. 

“Prince Lawrence!” 

A voice called out from the castle's main entrance. The man was tall and lanky, dressed in a tailored black suit jacket. He was a dashing man, with salt and peppered hair and a thin mustache over his top lip. He had an ice cold demeanor, staring at the large guard that was holding Lawrence by the face, arm raised. The guard’s grip loosened as he looked away, annoyed.

“Chives,” Lawrence beamed, shoving the guard off of him and running towards the man. He instinctively held out his arms as Lawrence leapt inside of them, tossing his arms over the back of Chives’ neck. 

“Lawrence,” Chives said, trying to pry the boy off. “I’m so happy you’re safe.” 

“Oh it was awful,” Lawrence said, his voice hitching as his eyes began to water. “There was a monster in Aerelon! It was gigantic, I nearly died!”

“You deliberately disobeyed me,” Chives said, grabbing Lawrence by the shoulders. “I specifically told you not to go outside today, and not only did you not listen, you left the castle grounds completely!” 

“I’m sorry,” Lawrence sniffed, pointing his nose towards the ground. Chives sighed and pulled Lawrence into another embrace, a relieved smile washing over his face. 

“I’m just glad you’re alright,” Chives said with a sigh. 

“I am, because Finny protected me.” Lawrence pointed over towards Finn, who was looming around the castle entrance with Arya close by. Chives stood up, walking towards the pair and outstretching his hand. 

“Charles White,” He said, nodding his head in Finn’s direction. 

“I’m Finneas.” Finn nodded, suddenly feeling self conscious about the giant weapon he had strapped to his body. He grabbed Chive’s hand with his own, instantly realizing how sweaty his palms had become. He wiped them on his pant leg as Arya laughed. “Finneas Gray,” He said, glaring at Arya. 

“You’re the young man who slayed the beast, am I right?”

“Hell yeah he did!” Arya leapt in front of her brother, reaching out and grabbing Chive’s free hand. She shook it wildly and flashed Chives a toothy grin. “I’m Arya Gray, his sister. I’m just as good at monster hunting, probably a little bit better if we’re being honest.”

“Piss off,” Finn mumbled, pulling his sister away from the butler and shoving her behind him again. “I’m sorry about her,” Finn said as he struggled to stop Arya from interrupting again. Chives chuckled, covering his mouth a gloved hand. 

“It’s quite alright,” Chives said. “But I’m afraid It’s gotten quite late. Would you two allow me to show you inside?” Chives said, bowing slightly and extending his arm towards the front doors of the castle. Finn raised his eyebrows and looked at his sister, who was equally confused. 

“Inside…the Queen’s castle?” Finn asked, almost in a hushed voice. “Is that really alright?”

“Of course. You're the monster hunter who saved not only the Capitol, but her son as well. I’m sure she’ll be elated to learn that you’re safe inside the castle.”

“Her son…?” Finn’s eyes fell on Lawrence, who’s face lit up. 

“Yes, I’m afraid we worked extremely hard to keep him a secret up until now.” Chives grabbed Lawrence by the shoulders, leading him over towards Finn. “But I suppose it’s alright that you know. This is Lawrence, Queen Ailsa’s son.”

Lawrence gave Finn a sheepish grin, Finn’s posture stiffened as his lips parted, a gasp escaping his mouth. 

“You’re shitting me,” Arya said with bugged eyes. Finn nailed her in the ribcage with his elbow, hissing under his breath. 

“That’s not what you say to royalty, dumbass!”

“It’s alright,” Lawrence laughed. “ Please, don’t worry about it.”

“I just didn’t think the Queen had any kids,” Finn said. “I mean, I know we don’t get much news over in Direburgh, but I feel like we would have known something like that.”

“Well, Gary did tell me once that the Queen used to have a son,” Arya said, cocking her head to the side. “But he told me that her son died.” 

Lawrence’s eyebrows knit in confusion, and Chives’ face fell almost instantly. 

“Really?” Lawrence asked, tapping his chin with his finger. “I’ve never heard that before.”

“That’s obviously not true,” Finn muttered as he gave his sister a shove. “Maybe you should clean your ears more often.”

“I do clean my ears,” Arya said with a stomp of her rain boots.

“Clearly not, since you can’t hear.”

“A rumor grows as it goes,” Chives interrupted with a grin. “Queen Ailsa wanted to keep Lawrence as far away from danger as possible” He narrowed his dark eyes towards Lawrence. “It was working quite well, up until today.” 

“I said I was sorry,” Lawrence whined. “It was the Capitol Carnival, I just couldn’t stay away.” Lawrence suddenly threw his arms around Chive’s neck and leapt up, expecting Chives to catch him. Chive’s caught him without even flinching, carrying him bridal style towards to front doors of the castle. 

“Did you get me a souvenir, your highness?” Chives asked, his constant professional tone suddenly laced with sarcasm. 

“I’m alive, isn’t that enough?” Lawrence said, laying his head against Chive’s shoulder. “Look, can we go inside? I’m freezing.” 

“That sounds like a good idea.” Chives walked in front of them all and pulled open the heavy wooden doors, all while still holding Lawrence. “Please, right this way.”

Finn and Arya looked at each other before they followed the butler inside, deep into the heart of the Bennett family’s castle.


	5. What Did You Wish For?

There were no doors on the ground floor of the Queen’s castle, only arches. The wide open area was surprisingly welcoming, despite the lack of windows and the guards posted at every corner.The flagstone floor was freshly waxed and gleaming as Finn and Arya tracked their dirt-coated boots into the foyer. A pair of staircases twisted together, leading them up to a floor that, in contrast to the main floor, was filled with different doors. Chives dropped Lawrence off in his own bedroom, handing him over to a handful of servants before he took Finn and Arya to their own rooms.

“So why does Lawrence call you Chives?” Arya asked as they traveled through the hallways. 

“I’m afraid he couldn’t quite pronounce Charles when he was a child, so it turned into ‘Chives’. The result was a nickname that unfortunately stuck.” 

“It’s funny,” She said with a chuckle. “I’m gonna start calling you that, too.”

Chives came to a halt in front of a heavy oak door, pulling it open and extending his arm.

“Your room, Lady Arya.” Chives said. Arya ran inside of it, immediately throwing down her bags. 

“Lady Arya?” She snorted, throwing herself down on the plush bed, boots still on. 

Chives peeked his head in as he closed the door, saying, “I’ll be back soon to prepare you for bed.”

“Whatever you say, Mr. Chives.” 

Chives smiled at Finn as he closed the doors, leading him into the room next door. It was magnificent and relatively clean, considering it looked like nobody had ever been inside of it. Finn fiddled with his fingers, noticing the silence that fell over the two once Arya had left. He cleared his throat, saying,  
“Sorry for asking this but, was that the Queen’s test?” 

“The monster, you mean?” Chives said, lighting a few candles by the bed so that the two weren’t relying only on the moonlight streaming through the windows. 

“Yeah,” Finn said. “I guess I expected something a little more…organized? I don’t know.”

Chives quickly strutted over towards the bed, pulling down the covers and getting it ready for Finn to climb into. “That was an unexpected event. Nobody could have predicted that beast, nor the escape of Prince Lawrence. But the Queen watched your performance through her window, and decided that you were exactly what she was looking for.”

“Interesting,” Finn said, hesitant to even walk on the beautiful marble floors of the bedroom with his dirt coated boots. “So then, I got the job?”

“Yes,” Chives said, leading Finn over to a mahogany chair dressed with plush, pastel cushions. He untied the laces of Finn’s muddy boots and slipped them off. “You’ll be trusted with a very important journey. Queen Ailsa will explain it more over breakfast tomorrow.” 

“This is all so exciting,” Finn said, a smile creeping up on his face. Chives scoffed as he threw open the doors of a tall wardrobe, pulling out a simple, blue nightgown.  
“I wouldn’t get too excited,” He said, shaking out the dust from the nightgown. “Lawrence is going to be a handful.”

“Lawrence is coming?” 

“Oh, most certainly. Though he’s not easy to keep track of, I’ll tell you that much.”

Finn smirked, tossing his backpack into one of the plush, decorative chairs.

“You two seem to be close, though,” Finn said. 

“Please don’t misunderstand; I love Lawrence more than anyone else,” Chives said, folding the fabric of the nightgown once over. “But I can still recognize that he’s obnoxious, oblivious, and has an ego the size of a barge.” Finn chuckled as Chives handed him the freshly folded nightgown. “That being said, he has a certain tenderness to him. A soft, fun loving spirit that Aerelon desperately needs.” Chives sat down on the bed beside Finn, leaning in a little closer and lowering his voice. Finn felt a jolt of anxiety rush up his spine as he felt Chive’s cold breath on his ear. “Should anything…upsetting, arise during your journey, I suggest that you remember your roots.” Chives looked up at Finn, his brown eyes narrowing intently. “Remember who you are, and remember who Lawrence is. If you keep that in mind, I think you will all make it back to Aerelon in one piece.” Chives stood up and gave Finn a low bow, his intense face quickly vanishing into an easygoing smile. “I’ll go see to your sister, Arya. Hopefully she hasn’t scampered out of her room quite yet.”

Chives showed himself out of the room, leaving Finn alone. Finn sighed, smiling slightly as he dragged his feet across the plush carpet that covered the floor by his bed. Though it was overwhelming, Finn had never even seen a room that looked this beautiful in his life. Everything surrounding his was clean and clear as glass, even the walls looked to be a brighter shade of white than anything he’d see at home. His bed even had curtains attached to it, which was tied away to form the perfect canopy look.

Finn reluctantly pulled off his tunic and undid the rope that was holding up his pants. Even though he was alone, something about the atmosphere in this room was making him nervous. He studied the nightgown in his hands, cocking his head to the side. Were you supposed to step into this sort of garment, or pull it over your head? Finn had no idea. He was almost embarrassed that he had never seen real pajamas like this. 

He quickly decided on pulling the plush nightgown over his head, which was evidently the wrong choice as Finn realized that there were a plethora of buttons that he had failed to undo. He grumbled under his breath as he wrestled with the garment, almost not noticing the faint knock at his bedroom door. 

“Huh?” Finn looked over his shoulder with only his eyes peeking out of the nightgown’s neck hole. 

The door opened and Lawrence popped his head in with a smug smile. His blond hair was now loose and unbraided, falling just above his shoulder. The elaborate outfit he had on before had been replaced with a puffy sleeved white nightgown, decorated with panels of lace. Showing himself into Finn’s room, he closed the door behind him and ran up towards Finn with vigor. 

“I’m so excited you’re here,” Lawrence beamed, plopping down onto Finn’s bed. “Do you like your room?”

Finn nearly popped a blood vessel as he fumbled with the bed sheets, pulling them up over his bare chest. 

“Knock first!” Finn screamed, his face beet red as he struggled to cover himself. Lawrence tilted his head in confusion. 

“I don’t mind,” He said. Finn forced the partially unbuttoned gown over his head, desperately trying to get his arms through the stubborn sleeves and not even caring if he ripped it at this point. Lawrence giggled under his breath as he pulled the gown down past Finn’s chest, causing Finn’s flushed face to pop free.  
“Have you never worn a nightgown before?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in your own room?” Finn hissed, shoving the buttons together on his nightgown and grabbing a decorative pillow off his bed. He clutched it in front of him, narrowing his eyebrows. “Won’t you butler be mad at you if he catches you?”

“Oh, he’ll live,” Lawrence said, collapsing onto Finn’s bed. He rolled over, his bangs dangling in his eyes as he smiled towards Finn. “Besides, this is the first time we’ve ever had guests.”

“You’ve never had a single guest?” Finn asked in disbelief. “That’s impossible. This castle has like, hundreds of spare rooms.”

“Yeah, but mother doesn’t like letting strangers inside. Up until now, nobody from the outside even knew I existed.”

“That’s so bizarre,” Finn muttered, pushing his chin into the pillow he was holding. “Why would they want to keep you a secret?”

“Chives says it’s to protect me,” Lawrence said, gazing up at the ceiling. He suddenly jolted upright, clapping his hands onto Finn’s wrists in excitement. “But now that we’ll be adventuring together, I’ll finally get to meet real common people!”

“Yeah,” Finn said, shaking his head. “They don’t really like it when you call them that.”

“But you’re a commoner, right Finny?” 

Finn cringed at the title, but nodded regardless. 

“Since I lost my father, it’s just been my mother, Arya, and me,” Finn said. “Gary helps out sometimes too, but I don’t know how much longer he has.”

“Do you and Arya spend time together?” 

“We used to,” Finn muttered into the pillow. “Not as much lately. Though, I guess I’ll be spending more time with her now that she followed me here.”

“That’s great!” Lawrence clapped his hands together, causing Finn to notice the absence of gold jewelry that usually coated the Prince’s wrists and fingers. “Oh Finny, I’m so happy for you!” 

“Calm down,” Finn said, outstretching his hand. “Anyways, we need to go to sleep if we want to-."

“Come visit my room,” Lawrence blurted out, grabbing Finn by the hand. He yanked him off the bed and Finn stumbled, his bare feet sticking to the wooden floors of his bedroom. 

“Are you insane?” Finn asked, trying to shove Lawrence off. “This isn’t a sleepover party. I don’t want to get into trouble with the Queen.”

“You won’t get in trouble if you don’t get caught.” Lawrence winked, intertwining his fingers with Finn’s. He used his free hand to hold a finger up to his lips, flashing Finn an enigmatic smile. Finn’s face flushed as he looked away, allowing Lawrence to lead him out the door and into the hallway of the castle. 

“F-Fine,” Finn stammered, grabbing the back of his neck. “But only for a few minutes. And if you get me in trouble-.”

“No trouble,” Lawrence giggled, swinging his arm that was holding Finn’s hand. “Like I said, this is the first time we’ve ever had a guest! I can’t just let you rot in your bedroom.”

“I wasn’t rotting, I was getting ready for bed.”

“What are you, eighty five years old?” 

“That’s a normal thing to be doing at half past ten,” Finn said as he was led through exquisite hallways, all with paintings and sculptures at every corner. Although, most of the paintings were just abstract oils or paintings of the Queen. Finn didn’t see a single one with Lawrence in it. Lawrence stopped abruptly outside of a large set of double doors and threw them open with a smile. Finn caught himself gasping as he saw Lawrence’s pristine bedroom, dripping in moonlight that came from a huge canopy window against the wall. There were candles lit in every corner, making the room flicker with small bouts of light. 

“So, you’ve just been sitting in this castle your entire life?” Finn said as ran his hand over one of the mahogany dressers. “It can’t be nearly as bad as you’re making it out to be.”

“Are you kidding?” Lawrence sighed. “All I can do is walk around the courtyards, but only with an escort. Other than that, I have to stay inside.”

“But you live in a castle,” Finn gawked. He outstretched his arms, grinning as he did so. “I mean, if I did this in my bedroom at home, I would be able to touch both of the walls.”

“So?” Lawrence threw open the doors to his balcony, sitting on the freezing marble and letting the nighttime wind blow through his hair. “I have nobody to talk to and nothing to do.” Finn followed Lawrence out on the balcony, taking a seat next to the prince. “All the servants are so old and boring, they’re never any fun. A lot of the guards are really mean, too.”

“Don’t you have your butler?” Finn asked. 

“Yeah, Chives is probably my best friend.” Lawrence gazed off into the waters surrounding the castle, turning back to Finn with a sad expression. “But other than him, I’m always alone.”

“You don’t talk to your mother?” 

“Not at all,” Lawrence said, shaking his head. “She’s really busy all the time, and she’s a pretty private person. We don’t even eat together, unless it’s a holiday or something.” 

“Jeez,” Finn mumbled as he raised his eyebrows in concern.

“She’s really gonna give it to me tomorrow, I’m sure of it.” Lawrence absentmindedly twisted his hair with his finger, staring off to the side. “I can’t imagine how angry she is right now.”

“Because you snuck out?” Finn asked as Lawrence nodded. "She can't be too mad at you, right? At least you're safe."

"Oh, she'll be mad." Lawrence said with a melancholy smile. "I've gotten used to it, though. It doesn't hurt as much anymore."

Finn raised his eyebrows, wondering if it was his place to inquire more. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Will your father be upset, too?” 

“My father hardly even speaks to me. He’s always working or traveling, so I’m lucky if I get to see him once a month or so.” Lawrence fiddled with the sleeves of his nightgown, absently staring towards the floor. “So yeah…it’s just me most of the time.”

“I’m sorry,” Finn said under his breath. “I didn’t realize…”

“It’s alright,” Lawrence said, suddenly perking up and lazily waving his hand around. “Don’t worry about it! You being here is the highlight of my year, I don’t want to make you sad.”

“Well you know,” Finn said, grabbing the back of his neck, “I don’t know the details yet, but your butler told me you’d be coming with me on the Queen’s mission.”

“You’re kidding-!” Lawrence snapped up to his knees, clapping his hands over his mouth. “Seriously?”

“That’s what he told me,” Finn said, trying not to grin at the prince’s sheer excitement. Lawrence squeezed, balling his fists up. 

“No way,” He said, squeezing his eyes shut as his massive grin took up all the space on his face. “So it’s true, then!”

“What is?”

“What you wish for in the Capitol fountain really does come true.”

Finn blinked in confusion, before his eyebrows knit and he shook his head with a smile. 

“You seriously wished to go on a monster hunting mission?” He rolled his eyes, shoving Lawrence’s shoulder and knocking him back into a sitting position.

“Don’t be daft,” Lawrence said, laughing. He grabbed onto Finn’s arm and leaned his head against it slightly, looking up towards the night sky. Finn held his breath, suddenly becoming increasingly aware that the prince smelled sweetly of vanilla and sugar. Splatters of stars speckled the black night, all twinkling in the dimly lit city. “I wished...” Lawrence peered his glance towards Finn, the corners of his mouth rising, “To spend more time with you, Finny.”


	6. The Queen of Aerelon

Finn inhaled sharply as a servant combed his hair back, not bothering to avoid the tangles and knots. The castle servants had woke him the minute the sun rose with smiling faces, eager to transform his appearance to the best of their abilities. Finn was thrown into a whirlwind of hot baths and waxing, with the servants removing not only hair but a fine layer of skin as well. His nails were filed into uniform shapes, and he was dressed in a clean, dark brown waistcoat. It even had a small gold pocket watch inside the front pocket. Lawrence’s clothes hardly covered one of Finn’s arms, so he settled on borrowing the butlers instead. 

A wave of servants rushed him into the throne room, silently adjusting him along the way. From behind one of the many pillars of the throne room, Finn saw Arya stumbling in a pair of clean, crystal heels. Her chestnut hair was freshly washed and was twisted into a beautiful bun. A peach-colored dress was draped over her body, with embroidery stitched into the sleeves. The skin between her eyebrows was pink, and her smile was just as toothy as ever. 

“We look goofy,” She chuckled, allowing the servants to lead her next to Finn. “Imagine me monster hunting dressed like this.”

Finn laughed as he grabbed Arya’s skirt, tugging it back and forth and letting it swish against the wind. The two of them laughed, only quieting down when they heard footsteps drawing closer.   
A servant came out into the throne room, holding a small wooden chair. After placing it next to the magnificent throne, the servant beckoned for someone to come out from the shadows of the hallway. There came Lawrence, strutting in silently. His hair was pulled into two short dutch braids, with opal pins scattered throughout to catch the light. A beautiful green waistcoat hugged his torso, complemented with a pale pink, tied cravat. Finn smiled at him, but Lawrence’s expression was completely flat. His eyes were glassy and red as he walked over to the chair, immediately taking a seat. 

The Queen came walking behind him, and Finn couldn’t help but gasp. She strutted into the throne room with a bleak and seductive demeanor, her long black hair tied up on her head. Her face looked almost exactly like Lawrence, with the same feminine characteristic. But where Lawrence’s eyes were soft and inviting, hers were extremely intense. She kept dead eye contact with Finn as she eloquently sat on her throne, her red lips forming a smile. 

Lastly, a man came bumbling into the throne room as if he had just woken up. He was gaunt and hunched over, his black hair dangling in his eyes. While he was dressed in noble clothing, his presence was the exact opposite. Unable to keep his eyes fixed on the crowd, he continuously fidgeted with his hands as he sat on the chair next to the Queen’s throne. The guard standing next to the throne shouted,   
“You are in the presence of her majesty, Queen Ailsa Meyrcella Bennet. First of her name, Queen of Aerelon and the Three Kingdoms.” 

Finn and Arya exchanged looks before bowing, not really sure if they were doing it correctly. The guard cringed as they rose, so they could only assume that it was incorrect. 

The guard extended his arm to the lanky man next to the Queen, saying, “Prince consort Dantalion Arthur Bennet, Husband of Queen Ailsa.”

Finn didn’t know why, but the mere sight of this man was giving him a sickening feeling. Whether it was the shifty gray eyes or the constant picking at his own fingers, he couldn’t help but question why the Queen would marry someone so…unsightly. 

The servant looked over towards Ailsa with a worried look. She nodded her head, and he turned to his left so that Lawrence was exposed. He sat hand in cheek, sulking slightly and looking off to the side. 

“You are also in the presence of Lawrence Ailsa Bennet, Son of Ailsa and Dantalion. Heir to the throne, First of his name; Prince of Aerelon and the Three Kingdoms.”

Finn and Arya looked at each other, exchanging glances and nods. They weren’t particularly sure what came next, but the Queen soon cleared her throat.

“You must be Finneas and Arya Gray,” She said with a smile. “I’m so delighted to welcome you to my castle.”

“T-Thanks,” Finn said, grabbing the back of his neck. “I uh, I’m happy to be of service.”

“What a dumb thing to say,” Arya muttered, glaring at her brother. 

“That’s what all the knights say,” Finn grumbled back. Queen Ailsa laughed, tapping her sharp nails on the edge of her throne. 

“It isn’t every day that I’m in the presence of such charming young people. Your ignorance is adorable.”

Finn rose an eyebrow, running his fingers through his freshly slicked-back hair. “Sorry, we aren’t really from around her.”

“Tell me, where do you come from?”

“Direburgh.”

“A charming city,” Queen Ailsa said with a grin. “Well, welcome to Aerelon.”

“Wasn’t this place supposed to be the safest in the world?” Arya asked, crossing her arms. “We almost died yesterday.” 

Finn shoved her, hissing under his breath at her to be respectful. The Queen’s flinched at Arya’s words, but she quickly shook her head and frowned. 

“An observant girl. That’s actually why I called you here. There are undead monsters absolutely everywhere lately. That was the first monster in Aerelon in decades, and Finneas, you killed it.”

“It was nothing,” Finn said sheepishly. The queen leaned forward, placing her hands on the arms of her throne.

“Finneas, I like to get to the point. I have…a proposition for you.” Her voice grew lower, into a soft purr. “I would like you to accompany my son Lawrence to the Mures Caves, off in the mountains of Westray. I need you to locate the ring of Dracula.”

“Dracula…” Finn trailed off, his face flooding with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“As the Queen of the Three Kingdoms, you know it’s my job to keep the people safe. The object that gave Dracula power, the thing that made him so strong, was a cursed ring that he wore on his middle finger.”

Finn’s eyebrows knit in confusion as he leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the Queen.

“Seriously?”

“It’s made of gold and diamond, with a giant sapphire in the middle. It’s said that inside of that sapphire, are all the souls of the undead.”

“That’s insane,” Finn whispered. “It’s just…sitting out in the open?”

“After your father killed Dracula, did he retrieve the ring?”

“This is the first time I’ve ever heard of it,” Finn said, shaking his head. 

“That’s what I was afraid of,” The Queen said, cupping her chin in her hand. “Then I need you to retrieve it. While it won’t be dangerous to either of you, if that ring were to fall in the possession of another undead or, gods forbid, another vampire, there would be a new ruler of the undead.”

“It would be Dracula 2.0,” Arya blurted out. “That’d be super bad.”

“Precisely. I need the ring in my possession so that I can destroy it, and so we may finally see an end to all undead monsters.”

“Yes,” Finn said, his eyes slanting into a confident glance. “I would love to help you get that ring.”

“Mother-,” Lawrence whispered. The Queen snapped her glance in his direction and he flinched.

“It’s not your turn to speak,” She hissed. Lawrence gulped and looked away, his cheeks turning red. 

“My son will be accompanying you on this journey,” Queen Ailsa continued. “It will be your duty to keep him safe.” Finn looked over at Lawrence with a smile. Lawrence’s eyes were watery, but he still smiled to match Finn’s face. “Will you accept this quest?” The queen asked. The throne room was dead silent, everyone eagerly awaiting Finn’s answer. Finn kneeled down, his face brimming with pride. 

“Yes, absolutely,” He said. “I agree, the undead are despicable and I would love nothing more than to help you kill them all for good.”

“Fantastic,” The queen said, clapping her hands. A servant came running over, draping a long, red cloak over Finn’s back. The button was engraved with the Bennet family arms, and the entire thing was dripping with golden trim. “Then let’s have breakfast before you leave, yes?”

Almost on cue, the servants hustled out of the throne room and into a magnificent dining room. Chives lead Finn and Arya into the dining room, which was dripping in golden sunlight that trailed in through all of the tall windows. Lacey white curtains lay draped over the panes, matching perfectly with the white table cloth. Plants and fresh flowers filled every corner of the room, masking the air with a delicate and sweet aroma. Finn sat down at the long mahogany dining table next to Lawrence and Arya. 

“I didn’t get a cloak,” Arya grumbled as she plopped into her chair, crossing her arms. “She didn’t even include me in her little speech.”

“You weren’t even invited,” Finn hissed, trying not to smash her long dress as he pulled in his chair. He looked over towards Lawrence, who had sat down silently. Finn leaned over towards him, resting a hand on his shoulder. Lawrence jolted up immediately, pulling away from Finn’s touch. They both looked shocked for a moment before Lawrence sighed and adjusted the napkin in his lap.

“I’m sorry,” He mumbled. “I’m a little on edge.”

“I can see that,” Finn said with a soft chuckle. “Are you alright?”

“It’s nothing.” Lawrence shook his head. “My mother is just…”

Queen Aisla came into the dining room, a trail of servants flowing behind her like the train on a dress. She sat down at the head of the table, in between Lawrence and her lanky husband.  
“I hope you’re all hungry,” Aisla said with a grin. “The castle staff had quite a fun time cooking this morning.”

“Oh nice, there’s gonna food?” Arya slapped her hands together, rubbing them dramatically. 

“Of course,” Aisla laughed. “I would never sit you at my table and not feed you.”

“Sometimes at our house, when we don’t have enough food, we just sit at the table and pretend to eat.” Arya snort-laughed as she recalled the memory and Finn’s face flushed in embarrassment. 

“Arya,” He muttered. “Don’t tell them that.”

“Oh no, it’s adorable,” The queen said. “There’s that Direburgh charm I adore so much.”

Servants came flooding into the room, holding trays packed with fried eggs, sausage links, ham, and breakfast potatoes and placed them all down next to Finn and Arya. Another servant brought out large bowls stuffed with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, as well as a towering arrangement of pastries and cakes. A servant put a small plate in front of the Queen, as well as a magnificent chalice full of wine. Chives began fixing a plate for Lawrence, gingerly spacing out each food like he was making a plate for a child. Lawrence tugged on Chives’ sleeve and pointed towards a tower of lemon cakes, of which Chives grabbed one and placed it on a small napkin next to Lawrence’s plate. Lawrence grimaced as Chives put the plate in front of him, as if there was an unspoken rule that he had to finish his food before the lemon cake was going anywhere near his mouth. 

Arya had nearly five plates in front of her. Finn tried to wrestle the sausage tongs out of her hands, but not before Arya could serve herself enough sausage to feed everyone at the table. Finn covered his face with his hand in embarrassment as he placed the tongs back, kicking Arya under the table and muttering a quiet, “Sorry.”

“Please, have as much as you like.” The Queen smiled, but her fingers began to tense around the fork she was holding. “I’m sure you’re both hungry, coming from Direburgh.” Arya slurped a sausage like it was a noodle, and Finn cringed. “Right then,” The queen said, bringing her chalice to her lips. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve requested that my son come with you on your journey.”

Finn looked over at Lawrence, who had his head propped up by his hand as he dragged his fork over his plate. 

“I was wondering that.” Finn nodded. “Especially since…well, I heard you don’t really like people knowing about him.”

“I’ve kept my son safe for nearly eighteen years. But as of late, he’s been proving to me that he’s ready to go out into the real world…” She glared at Lawrence who sheepishly turned away. “So I would like for him to go and see the lands he’ll be ruling one day. Just don’t reveal his full identity to anyone, unless absolutely necessary.” 

Finn nodded quickly, looking at Lawrence with happy eyes. 

“Yes, of course. I’m happy to go with him.”

“One other thing,” Ailsa said, unwrapping a small pastry and placing it in the corner of her plate. “My son is ill.”

“Oh yeah, he was telling me about that.” Finn nodded at Lawrence. “A blood disease, right?”

“Precisely,” The Queen smiled. “He doesn’t have enough blood in his body. If he doesn’t take his medication every few days, he’ll grow terribly sick.” She looked over at her son, who was silently turning a breakfast potato over with his fork. “Lawrence,” Ailsa said, her voice sounding very tongue in cheek. “Eat your food.”

He grumbled, stabbing the potato with his fork and bringing it to his lips. He took the smallest bite possible, immediately pulling a face and putting it back down. 

“His health is very important to me,” Ailsa continued with a sigh. “Please make sure he gets enough to eat, and that he’s taking his medication.”

“I won’t forget,” Finn said with a nod. “You can trust me.”

“After your display of talent yesterday, I’m very confident in you.”

“Hey, Queen Aisla,” Arya pipped up suddenly. “Did you see the fighting moves I did yesterday? I was fighting that monster too, you know.” 

“Shut up Arya,” Finn said. He kicked her under the table again, wincing once she kicked him back.

“I just wanted to ask,” Arya grumbled. “It’s not all about you, ya know.”

“You showed such amazing courage yesterday,” The queen said to Arya. She immediately directed her attention back to Finn, and Arya huffed. “And that sword, Finn. It’s simply magnificent.”  
“It was my fathers,” Finn said with a smile. “Lucas Gray.”

“You’re kidding,” The Queen said, coving a gasp with her hand. “The man who slaughtered Dracula?”

“Yeah,” Finn said, the corners of his mouth rising. “That’s why I’m so excited to go on this mission.”

“Like father like son,” She said with a smile. “Gods, what an amazing kill that was.”

“It was legendary,” Arya pipped up. She slapped her hand over the pristine white table cloth and grabbed her butter knife, pretending to slice off her own fingers. “Dad hacked at that vampire like nobody’s business!”

Finn’s face flushed as the room of royals stared at his sister like she was mental. Chives scrambled over to her side, taking the butter knife and urging her to continue eating. The Queen cleared her throat, staring at Arya with narrowed eyes. While the two were distracted, Lawrence took the opportunity to scrape all the food on his plate onto Finn’s in a timely fashion. Finn opened his mouth to protest, but Lawrence was already smirking and popping a lemon cake into his mouth. 

“Arya,” The queen finally said, “I simply adore your energy. It’s invigorating.”

“Is that a fancy way to say I’m annoying?” She asked as Chives re-tucked her napkin into her lap.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Chives said, clearing his throat. “But we should be going. Daylight is precious when traveling, no?”

“Good idea,” Arya said, grabbing handfuls of potatoes and jamming them into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk as she said something else that was completely inaudible. Finn groaned as he watched little pieces of potato dribble off his sister's chin.

“Yeah, let’s get going.” Finn scooped Arya off the chair and set her aside, making sure to tidy her place setting a bit. Chives hurried over towards Lawrence, pulling a rich gold cloak over his shoulders. Lawrence grabbed Chives in a tight hug, stuffing his face into his chest. 

“I’m gonna miss you,” Lawrence mumbled. Chive’s eyes fell as he placed a hand on Lawrence’s back. 

“Be safe, my prince.” 

Chives adjusted his coat and left the dining room before his face could waver anymore. Finn tiptoed up behind Lawrence slowly, careful not to startle him again. He held out an arm, smiling.   
“Your highness,” Finn said, making his voice sound as corny as possible. Lawrence couldn’t help but blush as he took Finn’s arm, and they followed the guards out into the castle courtyards. 

“So classy all of a sudden,” Lawrence muttered as the freezing air began to turn his cheeks pink. 

“It’s my job to take care of you,” Finn said. 

“It’s your job to get the ring,” Lawrence smirked. Finn grabbed the back of his neck, chuckling. 

“Well, that too. But I wouldn’t want you to trip or anything. You’ll mess up that girly face of yours.”

Lawrence pulled a hand up towards his cheek. “My face is girly?”

“Duh,” Finn said with a chuckle. “You’ve got those giant eyes and little nose, plus you always wear all this frilly stuff.” He playfully flipped the pink cravat tie around Lawrence’s neck. 

“You don’t like it?”

“I didn’t say that, I just don’t see a lot of guys dress so…you know…”

“Girly?” Arya asked with an eye roll. 

“I do dress more feminine,” Lawrence said, swatting Finn’s hand away from his necktie. “What’s wrong with that?”

“It makes you look like a girl,” Arya said. “I didn’t even know you were a guy when I met you.” She ran in front of them, planting her feet in the dirt and leaving footprints from her shoes. “Yeah, the guys in Direburgh are all huge with beards and big stomachs,” Arya laughed. “They look like they could wrestle bears. Then I meet you, and you’ve got little sparkles in your hair. Even my mother wouldn’t wear her hair like that.” 

Lawrence ran his hand across the opal pins littered through his dutch braids. “I bet all the people in Direburgh have mud on their shirts and smell like pigs.”

“Hey!” Arya grumbled, crossing her arms. “You’re not wrong, but you don’t have to say it.”

“My point exactly,” Lawrence said with a snicker. “I like looking nice. Feminine styles just look nicer on me.” 

At the end of the drawbridge leading out into the Capitol, there sat a simple carriage with two white horses. It looked excessively plain compared to the other things surrounding the castle, but Finn wondered if there was a reason for that. 

“You can take the carriage all the way to Westray.” The guard swung open the carriage door. “After that, Her Majesty recommends going on foot.”

“Woah, look at these!” Arya ran towards the two magnificent horses, their manes a rich ivory color. She ran her hands gently through their hair and smiled. “They’re so pretty.”  
“Let’s get going then,” Finn said, holding his hand out to help Lawrence into the carriage. 

“Finny, would you mind if I rode up there with you?” Lawrence balled his fists up eagerly. 

“Sure, if you’d like.” 

Lawrence hopped up in the driver's seat, squealing with excitement when Finn climbed in next to him and handed him a rein. 

“I've never done this before,” Lawrence giggled. He yanked the ropes and the horses neighed, clicking their hooves against the gravel. 

“Woah, relax!” Arya cried as she grabbed onto the carriage and threw herself inside. “You almost left without me!” 

Lawrence slapped the reins again, this time making the horses pick up speed. Finn gasped and grabbed on to the carriage, holding the wood as tightly as possible. The carriage wheezed as the wheels popped up over rocks and stone, jostling them harshly. Arya nearly knocked her head on the top of the carriage as she rattled around across the seats.  
“Slow down,” Finn said, placing his hand on Lawrence’s and turning his head to see the prince’s face. He was beaming, his teeth a blinding, perfect white. Golden rays of sun flashed across his ice colored eyes, the freezing winds causing them to water slightly. His cheeks and nose were tinted pink, and Finn couldn’t quite tell if that was the cold air or the pure excitement coursing through the prince’s veins. Lawrence eventually pulled the reins again, allowing the horses trot down the trail instead of gallop. Finn sighed, letting his firm grip on the carriage relax. Lawrence turned around, his braids tumbling softly against the cold winds. He looked at Finn, a puzzled look crossing his face. 

“What are you looking at?” He asked. “The sky?”

Finn sighed with a smile, shaking his head. 

“Yeah,” He said. “I’m just looking at the sky.”


	7. A Hazy Future, A Hectic Night

After riding till dusk, the carriage finally pulled to a halt outside of Westray, and Lawrence led the horses over towards a grassy patch. The snow had started falling, and was gracing the grass in a splotchy pattern. Finn jumped out of the carriage, his boots slapping against the stiff, snow-covered dirt. He shivered as the air stung his cheeks. Lawrence stood petting the mane of one of the horses, smiling as it nestled its head towards his hand. 

“We should find a place to sleep,” Finn said. Arya came bumbling out of the carriage, her once styled hair falling into a brunette mess by her shoulders.

“That was the best ride of my life,” She beamed, tossing her hands up into the air. “Tomorrow, I get to drive!”

“We’ll worry about tomorrow when we get there,” Finn said, shoving Arya out of the way as he led the three down a dirt path. “We need to find a clearing to set up camp.”

“You mean we’re actually sleeping on the dirt?” Lawrence asked, cocking his head to the side. “Like, on the actual ground?”

“Where else would we sleep?” Finn raised his eyebrow. “Did you expect a fully furnished house in the middle of the woods?”

“I mean, sort of?” Lawrence crossed his arms as he followed Finn through the winding pine trees, all dripping with winter and painted in white. “We’re gonna freeze to death out here.”

“Not if we make a fire.” Finn came to a halt, sticking his arm out in front of Lawrence and Arya. He craned his neck past the twisting trees, squinting his eyes at a flicking light that lay nestled behind the trunks. Stepping forward, he saw that the light was a roaring orange, and it was illuminating a small campsite. 

Nestled in the winter pines sat a small girl with flaming red hair, who was skinning a squirrel and burying her knife deep under its skin. She had pointed ears and freckles, and was wearing a few oversized rags that were hardly enough to keep her warm. Next to her was a huge man with bulging muscles and a face that looked like it had gotten stomped in one too many times. He was tying a handful of pansies into a chain, folding the stems into one another carefully. Lawrence knelt down and picked up one of the many pansy chains that littered the dirt. 

“What is this?” Lawrence asked. Finn clapped his hand over his mouth, but by the time he caught him, the red head’s knife was already pointed at Lawrence’s throat. Lawrence cried out as the girl narrowed her eyes, grappling him in her arms. 

“A couple a rats, huh?” She hissed, pressing the blade against Lawrence’s throat. “Get outta here. This is our camp.”

“We weren’t trying to rob you,” Finn shouted, holding his hands up in protest. “We were just looking for a place to stay tonight.” 

“Look somewhere else,” She said as she squinted her piercing green eyes. She grabbed Lawrence by the wrist, effortlessly spinning him so that she could hold him up against her body. With the knife still pressed deep against his neck, Lawrence cried out for Finn. 

“Finny,” He said as the redhead yanked him by the arm. “Help!”

“Oh what, is this your boyfriend?” She sneered, lowering her face so that she was cheek to cheek with Lawrence. She squished her face against the prince’s, smirking towards Finn with smug eyes.  
Finn drew his sword, digging his heels into the dirt. 

“Back off,” he hissed. The girl’s face immediately grew curious.

“Oh, damn! Look at that sword! Watcha gonna do with it?”

“You’ll find out if you don’t let him go,” Finn growled. “What do you want, anyways? We said we’d leave you alone.”

“Ya’ll look rich,” She cooed. “Give me three gold and I’ll let your boyfriend go.”

“He’s not my-!” Finn swallowed his words as he watched the girl grab Lawrence by the chin, and plant a kiss directly onto his lips. Lawrence squealed as he girl glared at Finn, smirking into the kiss. Finn threw his sword down and started rifling through his bag, yanking out three gold and throwing them at her feet. She laughed and shoved Lawrence away, scooping up the gold. “Pleasure doing business with ya,” She chuckled. Lawrence ran towards Finn, ducking behind him. The girl laughed and waved her hands. “Nah, you know what? Ya’ll are just too funny. Ya can stay here tonight if ya wanna.” 

“Oh yeah, that sounds sincere.” Finn sneered as he struggled to act as a human shield for Lawrence and Arya. “You switched up faster than a snake.”

“I knew ya’ll weren’t bad guys the second I saw ya. I just wanted to have a little fun.” She gestured over towards the fire, and towards the large man who was sitting by it. “Come stay with us.”

“So you can rob us in our sleep?” Finn said with an eye roll. “No thanks.”

“I only take what I need,” She said with a shrug. “I know I could have asked for way more gold, and you would have forked it right over. Anything to save your boyfriend, right?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Finn hissed, his face flushing. “I’m his knight.”

“Don’t be embarrassed, he’s a real looker.” She swiped her thumb across her bottom lip, winking at Lawrence. “He tastes good, too.”

“We’re out of here,” Finn grumbled, feeling his cheeks growing hotter. Arya came running out from behind the trees, grabbing the red headed girl by the arm. 

“Hell no, she’s awesome!” Arya tugged on her arm. “What’s your name, anyways?”

“I’m Pyra,” She reached out and shook Arya’s hand. She went to grab Finn’s hand, and Finn nearly collapsed at the sheer strength of her handshake. 

“This is my friend, Crunch.”

“C-Crunch?” Lawrence asked, wide-eyed. Pyra nodded. 

“He got that nickname after a blacksmith nailed him in the face with a mallet,” She said as Crunch looked away from the group. “He was just tryina get a look at the sword, though. He’s a little too quiet sometimes, he can sneak up on people.” 

Crunch kept his head down, but he nodded slightly. Finn raised an eyebrow. 

“I, uh, I’m not sure if we-.”

“Of course we’ll stay the night!” Arya ran over towards Crunch, sitting down next to him. “Come on guys, this is a great find!”

Pyra chuckled as she moved in towards Arya, tossing another log onto the fire as if it weighed nothing. “Are ya’ll gonna stand there all night?” She called, “Or are ya gonna make yourselves useful?”

Finn grumbled as he walked over towards their camp, tossing his bag down by the fire and crossing his arms. “I guess,” He sighed. “But you better not pull anything funny.”

“What, like this?” 

Pyra shot behind him faster than light and grabbed Finn by the pants, yanking them down to his ankles. Finn shrieked as his undergarments were exposed, and Pyra and Arya howled in laughter. Lawrence blushed and turned away, covering his laugh with a hand. 

“Funny business is what I do most, country boy!” Pyra plopped down on the dirt and crossed her legs. “That, and eat a hell of a lot!”

She reached towards the fire and pulled out the sticks that were roasting squirrels aways. “Come on, do you want some?”  
Finn grabbed handfuls of fabric as he pulled his pants back into place. He silently took one of the sticks from Pyra with a glare, and slid the squirrel off of it, hissing under his breath as he felt how hot it was. 

Once everyone had a share of food, they began to eat. Pyra tore through the squirrel mercilessly, as if she hadn’t eaten in days. With a mouthful, she said, “So, where ya’ll from?”

“Well, we’re running an errand for the Queen,” Finn said between bites. Pyra’s eyes widened. 

“Oh, Queen Ailsa?” She shook her head as she bit into the meat on her skewer. “She’s a bitch.”

“Hey!” Lawrence shouted. “That’s my mother you’re talking about.”

“The Queen has a son?” Pyra said as she cocked her head to the side. “Since when?”

“Since always,” Lawrence muttered. “I’m eighteen, you know.”

“Sorry, I don’t know much about the royals,” Pyra looked over towards Crunch, who nodded in response. “All I know is that I tried to ask her about my village, and she basically told me to fuck off.”

“Really?” Lawrence asked. 

“Yeah, she wouldn’t even see me. My village is probably the poorest one around, too. Seems like Aerelon hoards all the money.”

Lawrence fidgeted with his fingers, looking over towards the side. “I don’t know much about economics,” He said, “But I’m sure my mother meant well.”

“Royals never mean well,” Pyra laughed. “I ain’t never seen one that wasn’t evil or nuts. Or both.”

“Lawrence isn’t either,” Finn said, gesturing to the blond. “He’s about as nice as they come.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Pyra shrugged, winking at Lawrence. He looked away, bashfully. “I don’t mean to be a buzzkill,” Pyra said, “You’re our guests after all. Hey, ya’ll wanna see something cool?” Pyra reached into her knapsack and yanked out a small, dirty mirror. It was teaming with dust and was cracked in the middle, but her face seemed to light up as she held it. “I raided this shop before I came here. I was only gonna take some __polish, but this was just too cool to ignore.” She handed it to Finn, a playful smirk crossing her face. “Look inside.”  
Finn hesitantly took the mirror and held it up to his face. The crack made him look distorted, and it was hard to see through all the dust. He wiped his sleeve across the glass, and almost instantly he saw a vision that didn’t match his reflection. He could see himself, standing on the balcony of Lawrence’s castle. Dressed in the most royal clothing, he was waving at a large crowd. 

“This is…” Finn trailed off, getting lost in the reflection. 

“Crunch read about it for me,” Pyra said. “Apparently, it’s a True Mirror. It shows you the future that you should have.”

“Really?” Arya snatched the mirror out of Finn’s hands and threw it up towards her face. 

“Woah-!” Her eye’s widened and her jaw dropped in awe. “I’m killing monsters! Like, real scary ones! Am I really gonna be a monster hunter?”

“Dunno,” Pyra chuckled at Arya’s sheer excitement. “It shows ya the future ya should have, not always the one you want.” 

“Let me see,” Lawrence said, grabbing the mirror by the handle. He instinctively adjusted his hair as he stared at his reflection, making faces at himself in the mirror. Finn snickered, expecting nothing less. 

Suddenly, Lawrence’s face fell. His happy blue eyes shrunk in fear, as he stared at the reflection in the glass. Finn stopped laughing and reached out towards the prince, but Lawrence jolted upright, throwing the mirror into the dirt beneath him. It shattered on impact, erupting into a million glinting pieces. Lawrence looked horrified as he clapped his hands over his mouth and shot backward as if the mirror was going to hurt him. Everyone stared in shock as they watched him. 

“I-!” Lawrence cried as he fell backward, stumbling over his feet and landing back in the dirt. His eyes were trembling as he peeked through his fingers, closing in on himself.

“You broke it!” Pyra whined, grabbing the handle of the mirror. “It took a lot to steal this, ya know!”

“What happened?” Finn asked, his eyebrows lowering in concern. “What did you see?”

Lawrence fiercely shook his head, pushing his body up against the nearest tree. 

“I didn’t see anything,” Lawrence murmured into his hands. “That must be a hexed mirror or something.”

“But me and Crunch saw stuff that was pretty right on,” Pyra said, cocking her head in confusion. “We ain’t see nothing scary.”

“Then maybe it doesn’t work on idiots,” Lawrence hissed, scrambling back up to his feet and darting off into the woods. Finn immediately leaped up and charged after him, leaving the others behind. The wind hissed through his ears as Finn sprinted, trying to keep up with the fleeting blond in his vision. Lawrence whipped his head around to see Finn running relentlessly, trying to keep up with him. Suddenly, Finn’s hand slapped down on Lawrence’s wrist, and he yanked the prince backward. 

“What’s wrong with you?!” Finn asked, steadying Lawrence and holding him firmly in front of him.

“Nothing-,”

“What the hell did you see in that mirror?” 

“Nothing-!” Lawrence said, panting hard. “I could hardly even see it.”

“Bullshit,” Finn hissed, tightening his grip on Lawrence. “You’re shaking so bad right now.”

Lawrence narrowed his eyebrows, cursing under his breath. 

“I just…” He trailed off, “I saw something weird. Something that was definitely not my future. I mean…that’s not even possible.”

“Maybe it was hexed or something,” Finn said, knitting his eyebrows. “I mean, we don’t even know where Pyra got it. Maybe you’re just overreacting. ”

“I guess…”

“I wouldn’t let it bother you that much. I mean, was it something that was really impossible?”

“Definitely.” Lawrence shook his head. “There’s no way I would do something like that.”

“Then it must have been a fluke,” Finn said, shrugging his shoulders. “Lots of those magic trinkets are just gags, anyways.”

Lawrence stared at the ground, his face void of color. Finn squeezed his shoulder, trying to get him to smile. 

“Let’s go back, okay?” Finn said. “I think you should apologize to Pyra and Crunch.”

“Yeah, okay…” Lawrence muttered as he let Finn lead him back through the woods, with only the setting sun to guide them. 

The mountain rose on the horizon, sheer rock striking down from the snowy peak. Only the base was softened by the virescence of a pine blanket. As the campsite came back into view, they saw that Pyra and Crunch were talking to Arya by the fire, and the three were laughing and rolling about like giddy, drunken fools. Finn couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his sister so happy. Pyra’s eyes widened as she watched the two come back towards camp, and she beckoned for them to join. 

“Hey, princess!” She cooed, “You done throwing that tantrum?”

Lawrence dragged his feet forward, his face blank. He crossed his arms and pointed his nose towards the dirt, muttering, “Sorry.”

“Good enough for me,” Pyra laughed, grabbing Lawrence by the wrist and leading him over towards two tents that were pitched under the pine trees. “Do you know how to pitch a tent, pretty boy?”

“N-no,” Lawrence said, staring at her with a disgusted expression. “I’ve never had to do something like that.”

“Well, the three of ya are gonna have to sleep somewhere, right?” She looked over towards Finn. “You brought tents, didn’t ya?”

“Yeah, I have them right here.” Finn grabbed his bag and pat it, confidently. “I know how to set up a tent, don’t worry.”

“No,” Lawrence grumbled, marching over towards Finn and snatching the bag away from him. “I can do it.”

“Ohhhh!” Pyra exclaimed, dramatically clapping her hands over her mouth. “Princess is pitching the tent!”

Lawrence dumped the contents of the bag into the dirt and pulled out a few poles and stakes. Finn and Pyra snickered as they watched him work, trying to make their laughter as subtle as possible. When the tent was finally put up it looked somewhat disheveled. The ropes that should have been tight had plenty of give in them and the bottom should have been pulled out more when they pegged it. The flappy, sad-looking tent immediately collapsed, suddenly no more than a pile of fraying green canvas made spiny by the jumble of sticks within it. It was like some boney animal that had died in the forest long ago leaving nothing but the skin and bones.

“I’ll figure this out,” Lawrence grumbled. Finn took one look at the collapsed tent and burst out laughing. Lawrence’s face flushed as he hurried to gather the tent fabric, but Finn placed his hands on top of his. 

“I’ll help, okay?” 

“No, I can do it.” 

“Lawrence,” Finn said, laughing and grabbing the prince by the hands. “It’s okay. I’ll do it for you.” 

“You could go fetch more firewood, if you want to be useful.” Pyra said with a shrug. “We’re almost out.”

“Yeah,” Lawrence said, wobbling as he got to his feet. Finn arched his eyebrow in concern, watching as Lawrence made his way into the woods. 

“Is that a good idea?” He asked. “Lawrence doesn’t know how to do…much.”

“Yeah, the wood is mostly in the nearby area. He won’t have to go far. Plus, it’ll make him feel like he did something.”

“I can get the wood,” Lawrence mumbled. As he moved towards the forest, he was stumbling, tripping over himself, and nearly falling with every step he took. Finn chuckled, but after a few moments, he knew it was more serious than Lawrence being a klutz. 

“Are you okay?” Finn called, his smile shrinking by the second. “You look drunk.” Lawrence looked paler than usual, which Finn didn’t even know was possible. He blinked hard a couple times, rubbing his eyes with his hands. Finn put a hand on his shoulder, his eyebrows knitting in concern. “What’s wrong?” 

Lawrence groaned as his knees gave, and he collapsed like a house of cards. 

“Lawrence!” Finn cried, darting over towards the prince. He caught him by the arm and lowered him down to the ground. 

“I’m sorry,” Lawrence muttered as Finn scooped him up into his arms. “I don’t feel very good.”

“What happened?” Finn immediately shed his cloak, draping it over the prince. Lawrence lay his burning forehead against Finn’s chest, scrunching his face up in pain. 

“It hurts,” Lawrence winced, hugging his body as he rolled on to his side. “It really hurts.”

“What hurts?” 

“Everything,” He coughed, his body trembling. “I feel like I’m burning.”

“What the hell’s going on?” Pyra said, sliding over on her knees towards the two. Lawrence was gasping for air, every vein in his neck tensing uncontrollably. He coughed and sputtered as he tried to find his words.

“I think,” Lawrence choked out, “I don’t think Chives gave me my pill today.”

“What?!” Finn cursed under his breath and ran over to his bag, dropping his grip on Lawrence in the process. He jammed his hand inside his bag and rummaged around until he felt the small bottle towards the bottom. The large, garnet pills rattled against the glass, and Finn spirited back, sliding towards Lawrence on his knees and yanking the cap off. He grabbed a pill and stuffed it into Lawrence’s lips, clapping a hand over his mouth until Lawrence dry swallowed the massive pill. Lawrence gagged in response as Finn helped him sit upright.

“You okay?” He asked, his hands frantically moving from the prince’s forehand, to his shoulders, to his wrists. “Do you feel any better?”

Lawrence nodded as he fell against Finn’s chest. His breathing steadied and his eyes shut as Finn pulled his cloak over his shoulders. 

“Why would he do that?” Finn asked, anger lacing through his words. “Especially on the day we left for this trip”

“I’m not sure,” Lawrence said, eyes still closed. “He’s never forgotten before.”

“What the hell’s wrong with ya, anyways?” Pyra asked, her eyebrows raising. “Ya sick or something?”

“I have a blood disease,” Lawrence muttered, struggling to stay awake. Finn held his breath as the prince nestled his head into his chest. Feeling a sudden presence behind him, Finn turned to see Crunch, who had knelt down beside him. He outstretched his arms, and Finn’s eyes widened in surprise. Crunch gently took Lawrence into his arms, careful not to move him too much. As he carried him back over towards the tents, Pyra smiled. 

“Let’s go to bed for now,” Pyra said, helping Finn to his feat. “We’ll check on him again in the mornin.”


	8. The First Punch

Before the sun had graced the horizon, Pyra and Arya were already awake and moving. Pyra’s bright red hair stood out against the snow covered pines, and she clutched a slingshot tight in her palm. Every few seconds she’d fire off a rock, hoping to nail one of the squirrels that were jittering across tree branches. She pushed her hair behind her pointed ears and nodded at Arya, who was waiting at the trunk of the tree with her dagger. The red head fired off another rock towards a moving squirrel, and it wizzed past its head. 

“Damn!” She said, snapping her fingers. “Almost had that one.”

Finn peeled back the tent cover and stuck his head out, narrowing his eyes at the girls. 

“Are you two serious?” He said with a yawn. His chestnut hair was sticking up straight, and he had a small indent of a grass patch on his cheek. A large blue tunic was draped over his body, unlaced and wrinkled. “The sun has hardly even come out yet.”

“Gotta get an early move on if ya wanna catch something,” Pyra said, launching another rock with her slingshot. This one soared through the freezing air, nailing a squirrel directly in the head. It fell from the snowy branch it was perched on, paralyzed from the hit. “Ha, see?” Pyra cried. “Got one!”

Arya ran up to it, plummeting her dagger into its little body before it could make another move. She gushed, looking up at Pyra. The red head gave her a nod. 

“Finn, she knows way more about hunting than you do.” Arya laughed as she pointed towards her brother. 

“That’s great,” Finn mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “Where’s the big guy?”

“Crunch left a while ago to get water,” Pyra said. She squinted her eyes, looking through the splattered trees. “He’ll be back soon. Where’s the pretty boy?”

“Still asleep, probably. You two are the only ones crazy enough to be up this early.”

“You’re always up early in the morning.” Arya rolled her eyes as she brought her knife to the squirrel's skin. 

“Yeah, in the morning. It’s practically still night.”

All of a sudden, a booming sound echoed through the forest. Finn and Arya jumped to attention, placing their hands on their weapons. Pyra just waved her hand, not even looking away from what she was doing. 

“That’s just Crunch, don’t worry about it.”

Finn cocked his head in confusion as he loosened his grip on his sword handle, but in a few seconds, Crunch became visible between the trees.   
He was bumbling back towards the campsite with two large buckets that were sloshing water with every step. His footing was so heavy, it cleared nearly all of the pines of the morning snow that covered their branches. He came to a halt by the campfire, setting down the water buckets and nervously trotting to Pyra’s side. 

“What’s wrong with ya?” Pyra asked, dropping her slingshot. “Ya look scared to death.”

Crunch pointed out passed the forest with a worried look in his eyes. “A cave,” He muttered. “Saw it when I was gettin the water.”

“A cave?” Finn asked, his eyebrows peaking in curiosity. “What did it look like?”

“Dark,” Crunch said, shaking his head with closed eyes. Pyra walked up to him and wrapped him in a tight hug. She was only as tall as his chest, but his face relaxed a little once she held him.   
“Ya don’t gotta go inside of it, ya doof.” Pyra looked up at the giant man and laughed. “It’s not gonna getcha from all the way over here.”

“I was alone,” Crunch said, his incredibly deep voice quivering a bit. “Was scary…”

“We’re looking for a cave,” Finn said, jumping to his feet. “Do you think it’s Mures Cave?”

Crunch audibly squealed, clapping his hands over his mouth. Pyra’s eyes widened at the name, but a smile crossed her face. 

“You’re looking for Mures Cave? That’s intense!” Pyra smooshed her face against Crunch’s torso as the man covered his eyes with his hands. “Whatcha lookin for in there?” 

“Dracula’s ring,” Finn said with a smile. “We’re fetching it for the Queen, so that it won’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“Ya think you’re gonna find it?” Pyra said with a laugh. “Tons of people go looking for that thing. The monsters usually get to em first.”

“Bones,” Crunch muttered. “It’s surrounded by bones.”

“Yeah, but I have this.” Finn unsheathed his sword and the rising sun glinted across the magnificent silver. “This is the sword that killed Dracula. If it can manage that, I’m not worried.”

“It’s still pretty risky,” Pyra said, tapping her finger with her chin. “Want us to come along?” Crunch threw his hands down and slapped them on top of Pyra’s head, but she just laughed in response. “Oh come on, it’ll be fun! There’s five of us, anyways. Well, four, since I don’t think pretty boy is gonna be too much help.”

“Come!” Arya chimed in, a smile lighting up her face. “It’ll be way better with you there!”

“You can come if you want,” Finn said, placing his massive sword back in its sheath. “But no fooling around once we get there.”

Crunch shook his head viciously in protest, but Pyra patted his chest. “We’ll come along. It’s not too far from here, and me and Crunch got a lot of experience fighting dead things.”

“Really?” Finn asked, surprised. 

“We’ve been living on the road together for almost three years. The undead are no match this duo.”

Finn couldn’t help but chuckle as Pyra threw her arm around Crunch, and his face deflated in defeat. He moped back over towards the bonfire and took his usual place on a log, grabbing one of the pansy chains he was working on yesterday. 

“What’s with the yelling?”

Finn turned to see Lawrence, who was trudging out of his tent. He couldn’t help but gasp as he saw the prince’s getup, which was shockingly plain. Lawrence was wearing a large white tunic and tight black pants, with a pair of tall black boots. His blonde hair was free against his shoulders and hanging into his eyes, which were narrowed to match his annoyed expression. “Chives is a deadman when I see him next,” Lawrence mumbled as he crossed his arms. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so casual,” Finn said with a chuckle. “Not even when you’re sleeping.”

“I’ve slept in things fancier than this,” Lawrence grimaced as he grabbed at his tunic. “I don’t even know where Chives got something so hideous.”

“You thought he’d let you bring all of your precious jewels on this trip?” Finn said with a snicker. Lawrence huffed, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. 

“He let me dress normally for the carriage ride.”

“Yeah, because you wouldn’t have come if he put you in that the first day,” Finn laughed, gesturing to Lawrence’s clothes. 

“I think ya look handsome,” Pyra cooed. Lawrence's cheek’s turned red as he pouted. 

“I look like a peasant,” He said as he grabbed the excess fabric from his shirt. “I could fit another person in this.”

“Nah, peasants are dirtier than you are.” Pyra grabbed at her own green tunic, smirking. “I would know.”

“I don’t even have anything in my hair,” Lawrence said, running his fingers through the shoulder-length strands. “Not even a hairpin.”  
Crunch stood up from his long and walked up behind Lawrence quietly. He placed a crown of pansies on the prince’s head, and Lawrence jumped in surprise. “Oh, you really do sneak up on people, huh?” He smiled, reaching up and feeling the petals of the crown. “You made this for me?”

Crunch nodded, his large lips forming a little smile. “A crown for a king,” He said. 

“He ain’t a king,” Pyra said, walking up and slapping Lawrence on the back. “I doubt he’s even a prince.”

“I am a prince,” Lawrence said, squealing as Pyra suddenly wrapped him in a headlock. 

“Oh yeah? Why ya running your own errands, then?” She grappled with him, laughing as he struggled under her arms. 

“It’s a great honor that I was allowed to leave the castle,” Lawrence said, grabbing Pyra’s arms and trying to wriggle his way free. “I’m usually kept in my room.”

“What’s the point of having a kid so pretty if you’re not gonna let anyone see him?” Pyra asked as she pinched one of Lawrence’s cheeks. 

“I have a blood disease,” Lawrence growled. “You saw what happened when I didn’t take my medication. It’s dangerous for me to be outside of the castle.”

“Yeah, but you’re fine once ya pop your pills.”

“My mother is the queen of the Three Kingdoms. She must want to keep me safe from enemies, then.”

“Think whatcha want,” Pyra laughed as she loosened her grip on Lawrence and he came tumbling out of the headlock. “Doesn’t add up to me, though.”

“I didn’t ask,” Lawrence mumbled, adjusting the flower crown on his head. 

“Crunch found the cave,” Finn pipped up, doing his best to change the subject. “We should be there soon.”

“Seriously?” Lawrence asked. “It’s that close?”

“The cave sounded pretty sketchy,” Arya said with a shrug. “It’s worth a shot, at least.”

“I’ll go anywhere, as long as people won’t see me dressed like this.” Lawrence grabbed his cloak off the ground and threw it over his shoulders. “I don’t think I could stand the humiliation.”  
“It’s not like anyone knows who you are,” Finn muttered under his breath as he stuffed a handful of clothes into his backpack. He helped Crunch pack up the campsite while Arya put out the fire, and they were on the road in a matter of minutes. 

“Damn, that sun is bright today.” Pyra looked up at the rising sun, which was shining with a magnificent golden gleam. It reflected across the snow covered snow, making the sleek white coat of winter shine. 

“Who cares, you can see the sun any ol’ day,” Lawrence said, tucking his tunic into his pants so that it was the slightest bit more flattering. Pyra knelt down and grabbed a handful of snow, launching it at the prince before he could notice. It smashed into his button nose, exploding into a million tiny snowflakes. Lawrence screamed and feverishly brushed the burning snow off of his face. 

“Nice hit,” Arya laughed, high-fiving the half elf. 

“That’s a crime, I’m pretty sure!” Lawrence cried, pointing at Pyra. “Finny, go cut her up with your sword!”

Pyra howled with laughter as she trotted towards the front of the group, her red hair flowing behind her. Finn smiled and shook his head, saying, “My hands are tied, sorry.”

“At least cut off that garish ponytail of hers,” Lawrence hissed, crossing his arms. “Though that may be more of a reward, not a punishment.”

“Hey!” Pyra said as she narrowed her eyebrows. “I’d watch it, princey. I can make that pretty face of yours not-so-pretty.”

Lawrence glared at her, rubbing his cold, pink nose. 

“What are you guys doing all the way out here, anyways?” Finn asked Pyra, walking in-between the two. “I don’t think you told us yesterday.”

“Oh, me? I’m just living the nomad life.” Pyra threw her hands behind her head as she walked. “I’m not too sure what I’m looking for.”

“How long have you been adventuring like this?”

“About four years now,” Pyra said. “Since I was about your age.”

“Your family doesn’t miss you?” Finn asked. 

“I lost my family last year. They all croaked from Scarlet Fever, so I don’t really got a place to go back to.”

“I’m sorry,” Finn said, pointing his nose towards the ground. “I lost my dad pretty recently, too. I know how tough it is.”

“I know, you’re Lucas Gray’s boy.” 

“How’d you know that?” He asked. 

“I looked through your stuff when you were sleeping,” She laughed.

“Please don’t make a habit of that,” Finn groaned. 

“Nah, make it a habit,” Arya said. “You wouldn’t believe the embarrassing stuff Finn keeps in his bag.”

“Arya-!” Finn hissed. He shoved his sister hard, and she laughed as she stumbled over her feet. “When we get home, I’m selling you.”

“Fine, I’ll go live with these two.” She trotted up towards Crunch, craning her neck to get a better look at the massive man. “What are you traveling for, Mr. Crunch?”  
“Crunch is traveling to meet Angus Rokovic, some famous plant guy,” Pyra said. “He wants to get an apprenticeship from him, or something like that.” Pyra patted Crunch on the shoulder, and he nodded in response. 

“An apothecarist,” Crunch said quietly. 

“Yeah, whatever that is.”

“That’s really wonderful,” Arya said. 

“I’m guessing you two wanna be Monster Hunters, that's a pretty adventurous future!" Pyra paused for a moment, then said, “Actually Finn, speaking of future, you never told me what you saw in the mirror.”

Finn’s mind flashed back to the image of him dressed in regal clothes, waving as he stood on Lawrence’s balcony. He remembered what Pyra had said about the mirror showing a future that should happen, and not necessarily one that will happen. Was he supposed to end up working for the queen? There wasn’t any other occupation he could imagine doing for the royal family. The thought prompted him to look over his shoulder towards Lawrence. The prince was headed in every direction, touching every tree and plant he could find. He ran his hands across the bark of the trees, and he grazed the snow that had freshly covered the grass that morning. Finn watched him with curiosity as he reached down towards the snow. 

“Snow is so wet,” Lawrence said, scooping up a handful of it and holding it up by his nose. “Did you know that?”

Finn couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head. 

“Yeah, I knew that.” 

“Magnificent,” He said, watching the snow flutter back towards the ground as he dropped it. 

“What’s gotten into you?” Finn asked, watching Lawrence jitter back and forth. “You seemed pretty tame yesterday.”

“I realized last night that this might be my only time in the forest,” Lawrence said as he reached out to touch a rosebush. “I want to make sure I remember everything exactly as it was.” He gripped one of the branches of the rosebush and immediately drew back, shaking out his hand. “Ah!” He cried, grabbing his hand and glaring at the bush. “It bit me!”

“It didn’t bite you,” Finn said. “Rosebushes have thorns.”

“Since when?” Lawrence raised an eyebrow as Finn grabbed his hand. “All the roses I’ve gotten back at home have been fine.”

“Because you’re rich and have someone to de-thorn them,” Finn said as he looked over Lawrence’s hand. “They normally have a ton of thorns.”

“How is that even a rose bush?” Lawrence stuck up his nose at the prickly branches. “There’s not a single flower on it.”

“It’s the middle of winter,” Finn said, rolling his eyes. “You’re not bleeding, so you should be fine.”

“Will you find me a rose, Finny?” Lawrence pouted, grabbing onto Finn’s arm. “A nice one, that doesn’t bite.”

“They’re not in season,” He said, turning his head away so that the prince wouldn’t notice his cheeks turn pink. He continued to walk as Lawrence hung off his arm. 

“But they’re my favorite,” Lawrence whined. “I could bring it back home and keep it forever.”

“I can’t just make them appear,” Finn said, keeping his eyes straight on the path ahead of him. “They bloom in the spring.”

“What about the white ones?” Lawrence asked. “Those don’t grow in the snow?”

Finn closed his eyes and grimaced, shaking his head. He almost didn’t want to burst the prince’s bubble, but it was just too easy. 

“I see your logic, but no. It’s too cold for them.”

“These ones grow in the snow,” Lawrence muttered, pointing to the pansy crown on his head. “Sounds to me like you’re just lazy.”

“I’m not going to take a botany lesson from the shut-in prince,” Finn said. Lawrence groaned, planting his heels into the dirt to slow Finn down even more. 

“You know big words make me tired,” He groaned. Finn finally looked over towards the prince, who was batting his eyelashes like a spoiled child. 

“I think moving makes you tired,” Finn said. He turned his head to avert his gaze, but the rosiness of his cheeks continued to give him away. 

“I’m not even kidding,” Lawrence mumbled, using the hand that wasn’t wrapped around Finn’s arm to touch his forehead. “I’m already so exhausted.”

“We’ve only been walking for an hour.”

“I don’t think I’m cut out for the adventuring life,” Lawrence said, holding his hand up to block the sun from his eyes. Finn rolled his eyes as he grabbed the hood of Lawrence’s cloak, pulling it up over his head so that it swallowed his face. 

“Maybe you’re getting too much sun,” Finn chuckled. Lawrence scrambled to pull the hood back down, and glared once he saw Finn laughing. 

“I’m firing you as my guard,” Lawrence mumbled under his breath. “You can go back to Direburgh.”

“Look, if I ever see a rose in the dead of winter, I promise I’ll bring it to you. Okay?”

Lawrence gasped and pushed his cheek into Finn’s arm, squealing, “Yes! Thank you, Finny!”

“You’re something else,” Finn muttered.

“It’s a good thing ya got us traveling with ya,” Pyra called from ahead of them, cupping her hand around her mouth. “Otherwise ya’ll wouldn’t get anywhere.”

“They’ve been like this since they met each other,” Arya said. “I’ve had to deal with it the entire time.”

“Shut up Arya,” Finn grumbled. “You weren’t supposed to be here in the first place.”

Arya opened her mouth to retort, but something caught Finn’s eye and he quickly grabbed her by the arm. Shoving his sister behind him, Finn craned his neck to get a better look at the ground in front of him. Pyra and Crunch slowed down as well, taking a few cautious steps back as a slue of black shadows began to bubble up from the ground, quickly flooding the area with a thick fog. When the air cleared, six shadowy figures filled the space. They weren’t invisible, but their skin was so ghastly pale, it perfectly reflected what was behind them. Covering their hollowed out faces was a tattered black cloth, which they draped over the rest of their gaunt, ghostly bodies. A few had their faces visible, but there wasn’t much of a face to look at. They were walking skulls with hollowed out eyes and loose jaws, stumbling forward with outstretched, spindly hands. 

“Wraiths,” Finn said as he narrowed his eyes and drew his sword. “Lawrence, get behind me!”

“O-Okay,” Lawrence stammered, ducking behind Finn. 

“Pyra,” Arya said, her eyebrows knitting in fear. “There’s…a lot of them.”

“Draw your dagger, girl!” Pyra pulled a carved wooden bow off her back and smiled. “You’re too talented to sit this one out.”

Arya’s eyes were still trembling slightly, but she nodded and drew the silver dagger strapped to her leg. The wraiths screeched an ear splitting sonance and charged forward. Pyra reached into the quiver on her back and grabbed an arrow with a silver tip, snapping it into the bow. She pulled back and fired, launching an arrow into one of the wraith’s hollowed out eye sockets. It hissed and stumbled forward, giving Pyra enough time to grab a short-sword and stuff it into the loose jaw of the wraith. 

Crunch looked like he was about to cry as a wraith soared towards him, but he grabbed its head and snapped it off the body with one motion. The disassembled wraith wriggled in the ground just long enough for Arya to stab it with her silver dagger, causing it to howl out in pain. Another wraith came charging at Arya, but she spun on her heel and plummeted her dagger into its chest. It staggered back, collapsing as the hole in its chest began to burn from the silver. 

Two wraiths screeched suddenly and charged at Finn, swarming him from both sides. Lawrence froze in fear, but Finn extended his heavy blade and lobbed the head off one of the wraiths immediately. The hood covering its head flew off into the winter wind, and its face began to sizzle under the sun. The other made a leap towards Lawrence, soaring through the air with its hands stretched out. Finn lunged quick, slicing the wraith’s chest in an ‘x’ motion. It froze just long enough for him to land the final blow with the silver blade, causing the wraith’s body to sizzle and burn against the metal. Finn turned his head to check on Lawrence, but gasped as he saw another wraith staring back at him. 

“Finny!” Lawrence cried as the wraith pinned Finn against a pine tree, and it wrapped its freezing fingers around his neck. 

“Lawrence, don’t-!” Finn choked as the wraith tightened its grip. Lawrence narrowed his eyes and ran forward in a panic, shouting, “Get off him!”

For a split second, before his fist hit the monster, the wraith loosened its grip and looked over at Lawrence. Its face didn’t seem annoyed, rather, oddly quizzical. Lawrence’s fist plunged into the head of the wraith, completely obliterating it and turning it to dust on impact. A harsh scream echoed from the monster as it evaporated, leaving nothing but a small patch of ash where it was once standing. Finn and Lawrence stood completely frozen, their mouths hanging open in shock. 

“What did you just do?” Finn asked, slowly moving away from the tree and avoiding the pile of ash by his feet. 

“I…I have no idea…” 

“That was wicked!” Pyra cried, running towards the two of them and tackling Lawrence in an embrace. “You didn’t tell me you were cute and strong!"

“I’m not,” Lawrence said with a nervous laugh. “Not usually, at least.”

“You turned it to dust with your bare hands,” Arya said, shaking her head in awe. “I mean, that’s insane!”

“Honestly, I have no idea how I did that.”

“That was unreal,” Finn said, staring at the ash that was previously undead. “I…didn’t know something like that was possible.”

“Well however you did it, I’m glad you did.” Pyra chuckled and gave Lawrence a playful shove. “You really saved his ass.”

“Then we’re even now,” Lawrence said as he looked at Finn with a smirk. Arya tapped her brother on the shoulder and pointed out towards the distance. 

“Is that it?” She asked, pointing towards a cave that was just barely in view. Finn squinted his eyes, nodding in response. 

“Looks like it,” He said, staring off towards the cave. 

“Hang on, let’s wait till morning,” Pyra suggested, grabbing Finn’s shoulder. “There’s gonna be a lot of undead in there, but most of them monsters don’t like the sunlight.” She pointe up towards the sun, which was starting to set behind the forest trees. “If we go in the morning, there will be less monsters outside.”

“Good point,” Finn said, sheathing his sword and dropping his bag onto the ground. “Alright, we can set up camp for the night.”  
The group assembled their tents, and after a quick dinner, they went into their own tents to reside for the night. After a while of hearing nothing but the nighttime insects, Finn peaked his head out of his tent, seeing Lawrence sitting alone. He climbed out and walked over towards him, taking a seat on the log Lawrence was sitting on. He smiled when he saw Finn, but then silently looked back towards the floor. Finn cocked his head to the side. 

“Are you nervous about going to the cave tomorrow?” Finn asked. “Don’t worry, I’ve got my sword. We’re going to be fine.”

“I’m not really worried about that,” Lawrence said, fidgeting with his fingers. “I’m worried that once we find the ring and go back home, I won’t ever see you again.” 

Finn’s eyebrows rose in surprise as he opened his mouth to respond, but he realized he had nothing to say. He hadn’t thought about what would happen after they got the ring back safely. Would he take the queen’s reward and head back home? Would Pyra and Crunch go back to living on the road, and Lawrence go back to being locked in his castle? Finn pursed his lips as his eyes grew sad. 

“Let’s not think about that right now,” Finn said. Lawrence smiled sadly as he leaned over, picking a twig off the ground. He started drawing little squiggles in the dirt, humming to himself. 

“I do hope you’ll come back to the Capitol,” Lawrence said. “I could sneak out and come see you.”

“Because that worked out so well the last time,” Finn laughed. “You almost died.”

“But it was the best night of my life!” Lawrence dropped the twig suddenly and grabbed Finn’s hands, squeezing them tightly. “I mean it, I’ve never had so much fun.”  
Finn’s face flushed as the prince smiled at him, his blue eyes warm and happy. Finn shook his head, smirking. 

“Fine, then I’ll come back to visit you. I’ll launch rocks at your window until you come outside.”

“I’m glad,” Lawrence smiled. “I like spending time with you, Finny.”

“You just like me because I’m the first real person you’ve ever met,” Finn said with a chuckle. “I’m really not that interesting.”

“But you are! You’re confident and smart, and you’re the best monster hunter I’ve ever seen. Give yourself some credit.”

“I never thought of myself as being all that interesting,” Finn said, leaning over and placing his head in his hands. “I’ve spent so much of my life working and just trying to survive, I never really got to pick up a hobby aside from monster hunting. I never learned to sing, or knit, or anything like that.”

“So? You don’t need to knit to be interesting,” Lawrence said. “Hobbies are just hobbies. Your personality is totally separate.” 

“You think so?” Finn asked. “How would you describe me, then?”

“Let’s see…” Lawrence smirked, tapping his chin dramatically. “A total softie.”

“Yeah right,” Finn said, giving Lawrence a shove. It proved to be a bit too strong, though, since Lawrence went flying off the side of the log and onto the forest floor. Finn shot up from his seat, scrambling to help the fallen prince. “Shit, sorry. I’m used to teasing Arya, I forget that you’re delicate.”

Lawrence laughed, sprawling out onto the grass and stretching his arms up by his head. “No, I’m glad you pushed me down here.” He looked up at Finn, “When you’re looking up, you can see how perfect the stars are tonight.” Finn turned to gaze up at the night sky, and saw Lawrence was right; the stars were splattered across the black sky like flecks of white paint on a dark canvas. Each one had its own unique glow, illuminating the woods around them. “Can’t we stay outside a little longer?” Lawrence asked, sitting back upright. “I’ve always wanted to look at the stars from the ground like this.”

“It’s freezing out,” Finn said, adjusting the cloak over his shoulders. He reached forward and pulled the hood of Lawrence’s cloak up over his head. His hand accidentally brushed against Lawrence’s cheek, and he narrowed his eyes in concern. “You’re already ice cold.”

“I’m shaking from the sheer excitement of it all,” Lawrence said with a grin. “Just for an hour or two.”

“You’re gonna catch a cold, you know.”

“It’s the perfect night to catch a cold!”

Finn shook his head and laughed, taking a seat next to Lawrence and saying, “Fine, but I’m not taking care of you once you’re sick.”

Lawrence laughed and yanked Finn down so that the two of them were lying on their backs, staring up into the night sky. Finn saw his own breath exhale and swirl out into the cold air around them, and he let himself relax into the forest floor. Suddenly, Finn felt a cold hand grab his own and intertwine with his fingers. He turned his head towards Lawrence, who only smiled in response. 

"You're supposed to look at the stars, Finny. Not me."


End file.
